Never Say Uncle
by Stryder2008
Summary: Danny Williams is arrested for murder and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With his partner detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH Friendship only TEAM!WORK
1. First Blood

**Never Say Uncle**

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter One:**

 _First Blood_

Detective Danny Williams stared into the beveled mirror in his bathroom. The light green paint of the walls reflected the early morning light creating a soft haze that was quite pleasant. The water was still dripping from his wet blonde locks and the fluffy towel hugging his narrow hips was a reminder of his life. Happy. Danny was actually happy.

He was leaning against the long counter, his face very serious as he rehearsed his words. This was the first time that Grace had invited him to speak at her school and he wanted it to be perfect. He sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair as he considered the terrible fact that his little monkey was growing up.

His blue eyes were bright and his skin was still sporting the tan from his weekend at Diamond Point. He'd worked out a deal with the owner of a cottage up there and he'd managed to get Grace to agree to spend an entire weekend with him. They'd had so much fun. His heart swelled as he thought of his daughter. He would do anything to keep that look in her eyes; the one that said she thought her father could do anything. He, of course, knew the truth. Danny was vulnerable as a cop. The chance that something he'd done in the past would come back to rip away his happy little life was very likely. And there was nothing that he could do about that. He loved being a cop and the Jersey native couldn't imagine doing anything different.

The nightmares that haunted his dreams were vivid and numerous, particularly after the events of last year and the subsequent things set into motion after Mattie's death. His chest tightened at the thought of his baby brother. Danny hadn't really dealt with that yet. He'd shoved the pain so deep that he was able to smile…but he _never_ forgot what had happened in Columbia. Beyond the loss of his brother, Danny's greatest shame had happened there. He'd lost control and crossed a line that he couldn't uncross. And it ate at him every single day.

His gaze dropped and the smile faded when his eyes landed on the long white scar marring his side. The worst year of his life had left him with little reminders all over his body. The surgery on his right arm to fix the broken bones had left him a two-inch scar along the inside of his wrist. He still suffered from the occasional migraine and the seven-inch long scar along his ribcage was a vivid reminder of his ordeal. A few things that had come out of those horrible experiences, he and Steve were better than they'd ever been. Their friendship was rock solid and their working relationship was written in stone. They were good. Danny had started taking more time with Grace. And he was trying to repair the damage done to his and Rachel's relationship.

They weren't trying to get back together or anything, but at least they were on speaking terms. He wanted to be a part of Charlie's life; even if he wasn't Danny's biological son. And then there was Gracie…he loved spending more time with her.

Although lately, her fascination with police work was causing him some sleepless nights and Danny was concerned where Grace would take it. He'd even been out on a few dates, but no one had really made him want to settle into a relationship. He'd moved into a house in a nice little neighborhood and he mowed the lawn on Sundays. All in all, he felt pretty good about his life.

Danny shook his head and grabbed his razor.

The drive to the school was blessedly quick that morning. One thing about this many people living on an island, traffic generally sucked. He'd been slightly disappointed to realize that Max was also going to be talking about his job. Part of the detective had been hoping that this was something he could share with Grace alone.

The conversation had gone pretty much as he'd expected. He talked about why he liked being a cop and the things that made him good at his job. Grace had been focused on him and it felt good. But then the class had derailed somewhat when her schoolmates started asking questions that should have disturbed Max, but instead, he found interesting.

Danny, however, found them disgusting. He'd glanced out at Grace and forced a wry smiled. She raised her hand. But her question left him worried. Of all the things he wished for his daughter, life as a public servant wasn't one of them. He wanted her to go to college and then become a doctor or something. Danny did not want his only child to be a cop.

"Danny Williams?" The unknown voice of the man stepping into the classroom caught the detective off guard.

"Yes." He hedged.

The U.S. Marshal quickly stepped into the room, followed by his partner. He pulled out a set of silver handcuffs and Danny's eyes widened.

"Turn around and place your hands behind your back."

"Uh okay...What's this all about?" The generally snarky cop asked steadily.

Danny's eyes flickered between the two men and he slowly turned and allowed his arms to be cuffed together behind him. "You're under arrest for murder."

Shock temporarily froze his tongue. So many scenarios raced through his head before he managed to piece together a coherent response.

"What? Whose murder?" His blue gaze flashed to Grace and his heart twisted at the anxious look on her young face. She was sitting ramrod straight in her chair and her eyes were begging for an explanation…he had nothing to give her in that moment.

He turned toward his daughter and did the best he could to console her. "I'm going to go downtown and we're going to get this straightened out. Don't worry, Grace. I'll be fine." His blank face shifted toward Max. "Call Steve." He breathed reflexively..

H50 H50

Steve laughed as he watched the kid that had once stolen his precious car catch the football like a pro. His laughter was cut short when the young man threw it back. _Kid can't throw yet._ He thought bemused. He'd spent the better part of his weekends hanging out with him and Steve had learned that he really liked being involved. He had no idea where this boy's life would have gone without his intervention. And the commander of Five-0 had learned that he could've been a good father…if that had ever happened. He explained the finer points of football.

The lesson was quick and effective; Steve showed him how to grasp the ball. "Always use the laces, that's why they're there." He couldn't help the smile when the kid threw him a very nice spiral in return. The ringing of his cellphone pulled his attention and he sighed before pulling it out of his pocket.

He glanced at the name and frowned. "Joe?" He questioned as threw the ball back.

"Steve, where's Danny?" Joe sounded tense. Although to be fair, his former CO sounded that way all the time lately.

Steve stood up caught the ball and then and tossed the football into the sand. "He's at Grace's school for career day. Why?"

"Get him out there. Now."

The old man was getting stranger and stranger the closer Steve watched him. "What are you talking about, Joe?"

Their conversation was interrupted by a second call. "Hang on, Joe." Steve clicked over to the second call. It wasn't normal for the medical examiner to call him. "Max, what's going on?"

"Steve. Danny's been arrested." The bottom dropped out of the seal's stomach and he shook his head in denial. He could not have heard that right.

"What?" He managed through his confusion.

There was a brief pause before the doctor continued. "Two U.S. Marshalls marched into Grace's class room and just arrested him. No explanation other than that it was for murder."

Steve's mouth dropped open and he ran his hand down his face. "Murder? Whose murder?" He growled out.

"I don't know. They didn't go into details. They just took detective Williams away."

The world seemed to spiral down at that point and he swallowed in frustration. _Damn, it was going so well._ Life had been good lately. He and Danny were better than ever and the team was functioning like a well oiled machine. He should have known that something would come along to pull the rug out from beneath them.

"Okay, thanks Max. I've got it from here." He clicked the phone closed and looked up. "I've gotta take off." He tossed the football back at the kid. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"Sure."

H50 H50

Seven hours later...

Steve sat in his truck, his head leaning on the steering wheel. The wind was drifting through the opened windows and drying the sweat on the back of his neck. He was having a hard time dealing with this new blow to his team. Both Danny and Chin had been arrested, on different charges and by different agencies. But two people had hacked down his team and now he was left trying to piece together the reasons.

Apparently IA was holding Chin and Danny had been seized by the C.I.A. on account of killing Marco Reyes almost five months earlier. Why now? What had changed that the spooks of the U.S. government had decided to come after a small fish like Danny Williams? And what the hell was up with the extradition order? Since when did the United States hand people over to Columbia in response to any claim? The answers were giving Steve a headache.

He'd tried to get in to see Danny, but he'd been turned away by the Federal Holding Center in Honolulu. So now he had no idea where his partner was at, or what he was thinking. They hadn't really talked about the incident in Columbia. Neither of them had been in a frame of mind to talk about what Danny had done. It had caught Steve by surprise and he was sure that Danny had been just as shocked by his split second decision to put that bullet in Reyes's head.

Steve sat back and scrubbed his hand down his tired face. His eyes burned with weariness and he knew that he needed to get some sleep. That he wasn't any good to his team when he was dead on his feet. The images that would haunt his dreams wouldn't allow him to slip into the much-needed rest. So he inhaled and started his truck and drove toward the office.

H50 H50

The news couldn't have played into his scheme any better if he'd planned it himself. Having the Five-0 team split up by their supposed allies had been a stroke of genius, even he hadn't come up with it. The elite team would pay for their involvement in Kenny's death. And starting with the partner of Steven J. McGarrett seemed like a great place to dive in.

But having the New Jersey detective sent to a South American prison? Oh god was that good shit. He ground his teeth as he watched the agent walk detective Williams to the plane. Damn cop had no idea what he was in for. Sometimes being on the wrong side of the law had its perks. The connections he had with the Columbian cartels were about to pay off, big time.

One question remained, how did he get McGarrett to break? Because it was all well and good to get Danny, but it was the leader of Five-0 that he really wanted to destroy. The one thing he'd learned that horrible day in the warehouse was that if he hurt the detective, it hurt his partner. So yeah…he could start with the blonde. But he would end up its the ex-navy seal.

H50 H50

Scared didn't even begin to describe the emotions flowing through Danny as he stared out the small window. Hawaii was disappearing as the plane flew higher. His life was disappearing as they climbed into the atmosphere. The visible and somewhat alarming changes in his status was clearly evidenced by the silver cuffs on both his wrists. He'd barely had enough time to contemplate what he was giving up, but the minute the realization that Steve could easily be pulled into this mess, the choice had been easy.

The roar of the engine was like the low hum of electricity in overhead power lines; constantly there and difficult to ignore. The man next to him shifted and Danny flinched at the contact. He had no expectation of ever seeing his daughter again. He was vividly aware of what happened to cops in a normal prison. And Columbia was anything but normal. His gaze dropped to the sleeve of his blue shirt and he noticed a small tear in the fabric.

Funny, he'd picked this shirt because it was Gracie's favorite. He can't figure out where the tear came from and it triggered a series of thoughts that distracted him for a time. Normally when Danny flew he couldn't wait until they were back on the ground again. He hated being trapped inside anything and that includes airplanes. That was not the case this time. His eyes remained unfocused and he stared out the window at the diming light of the afternoon sun. Splashes of color lit up the sky in a canvas of gold and purple hues.

He knew that Steve would be angry. Hell, his partner wiould likely be livid over Danny's decision to accept the blame. He'd already yelled at Danny in the detention center when the agent was moving him. He wanted to argue with Steve. To try and explain why he was doing this, but Danny didn't have a clear understanding of his reasons himself.

The detective blamed himself for killing Reyes. He didn't regret the death of the drug lord, but he did regret not having allowed the law to do it. The C.I.A. man hadn't been wrong he'd said that Danny had taken the law into his own hands and that he, of all people, should have known better.

"You're going to love your new digs." The Marshall next to him said with a wry smile.

"You know I won't last long." Danny's answer was subdued and missed his usually spirited tone. Acceptance was already settling in.

The man shook his head, letting his eyes drop to Danny's cuffed wrists. "Those too tight? I can loosen them?"

Danny appreciated the offer, but shook his head. "They're fine." He now knew that there was no way out for him. He needed to deal with the ramifications of the choice he'd made in that basement. The things he'd done and seen weren't some elaborately written television show, there were consequences. He knew that he'd made that choice in his lowest moment, but as he reflected on his life, Danny knew that he would have done that same thing, or worse, for Grace, Steve, or any member of Five-0.

Knowing this wasn't new. It wasn't unexpected, but it was frightening in its' reality. He doid't know how he'd managed to miss the entire flight, but he could feel the plane start its descent into Columbia and his stomach flipped in fear of what was to come.

The drive was short and Danny's immediately handed over to the prison guards at the jail. They're a ragged group of people and he knew that his day was just beginning. He'd seen prisoners being 'in-processed' before, but he'd never been on the receiving end and it didn't sit well.

He was stripped and searched. His precious few belongings disappear behind a chain link door and Danny was sure he would never see those credit cards again. It was embarrassing to be bodily _searched_ for… _what?_ He had nothing of value, not anymore; everything, including his dignity, had been taken from him. Danny reached up and drags a hand down his face; his eyes burn with weariness.

His clothes were returned to him and he was jockeyed through the halls of the prison. The growing din of voices sent waves of concern coursing through him and he nearly swayed under the weight of his current situation. Cups flew through the air and landed at his feet as he was shoved toward the main yard.

Palms slammed into his back and Danny felt his body propelled into the yard with the angry inmates. It took less than a minute before he felt the first blow strike hard and fast. His breath whooshed out of him with the strength of that single blow and he was nearly driven to his knees when several more fists join the fray. The guards watched it all. It lasted for a few minutes before the bastards finally stepped in. Pain lanced through Danny and he knew that this was what he had to look forward to. At least for a while. It wouldn't take too long before one them managed to slip a shank between his ribs and ended the sentence. He swallowed the pain, knowing that if he voiced how much it hurt, he'd be admitting weakness and that wouldn't get him anywhere.

One of the guards leaned over him, the butt of his rifle poised above Danny's face. He smiled sadistically and then drove the hard wooden end down into the detective's unprotected cheek. Pain blossomed and the skin split like an over ripe banana. The wash of warm blood warned Danny that they'd drawn first blood and he had no reason to believe that he would be saved from a second blow. He'd been taking beatings most of his life, but this was the only one he felt that he might actually deserve. His body started to shiver and Danny wondered if he was having a reaction to the pain or if the temperature had suddenly dropped. He managed to look up at the guard that had slammed him with the rifle. The guy grinned down at him…his face was swimming in fuzzy edges, but Danny could see there was no remorse.

"Ain't noone coming to save your ass, detective." He leaned closer and pressed the rifle cruelly against Danny's damaged cheek.

Danny hissed in pain and curled in on himself in an effort to protect his vital organs. The guy reached down and pulled at his shoulder until Danny had no choice but to try and look up at him. He didn't blink, even though the blood was now running freely along his face, dripping into the dusty ground beneath the detective.

"The Reyes family says hello." With that remark, Danny's insides froze and his mind started to race through possibilities, gravitating toward the ones that ended with him dead. Another wave of pain washed through him as the guard drove the rifle down one more time. Danny was truly alone for the first time in his life; he had no one to count on. No one that could save him from his own destructive choices and what was worse…he wasn't sure he deserved to be saved.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Who is the mysterious man determined to destroy Five-0? How will Steve manage to save Danny? Tip, it won't involve finding a stash of drugs and getting Danny sent back to Hawaii. Was the CIA only after Danny? What if they decided to go after Steve too, just later…new chapters every other day._

 **Please Review: If you'd like to see this one continued, please let me know.**


	2. Two for One

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 2 :**

 _Two for One_

Guilt could pull a person apart, but guilt without the ability to assuage it? Well that was about the worst fate a person could suffer…and the commander of Five-0 was suffering. Steve was tired. Hell, he was more than tired; he could feel the bone deep weariness chipping away at his ability to think clearly. He'd been struggling to hold it together since this had all started, keep his wits about him. Find a way to save both Danny and Chin. And it seemed, as though his body was finally ready to rebel and he couldn't help but think.

In the space of a single heartbeat their lives had shifted in a new and terrifying direction and Steve couldn't stop the onslaught of emotions that flooded through him; his heart trembling when confronted with what he stood to lose. The ex-navy commander had assumed that he would never again find the kind of camaraderie that he'd had in the SEALs, but when Danny Williams had slammed into his life, he'd found that and more. He leaned against his desk allowing a sigh to slip past slightly parted lips. He couldn't help the sensation that they were always on guard against the next threat, only this time they'd failed to see the writing on the wall. And it had cost them everything.

Steve wasn't sure when his legs had given out, but he found himself suddenly seated in his chair, his head resting uncomfortably on his arms and the remnants of sleep fogging his brain. He had a kink in his neck that acted as a stark reminder that this wasn't some horrible dream. He didn't know what pulled him back to awareness, at least not at first. The hours had passed without his knowledge and only the incessant buzzing of his cell phone had had the power to wake him. He groaned and rubbed at sleep-swollen eyes before glancing down at his watch. 2:32am. _Great…_

Which meant that Danny had been in the clutches of a South American prison system for more than twelve hours. He finally managed to swipe his finger over the 'answer' button on his phone.

"McGarrett." He grunted.

Kono's voice dispelled the last vestiges of sleep and Steve sat up straight. "Steve, where the hell have you been? I went past your house, but you weren't there." There was a pause and he knew what she was thinking before she managed to get the words out. "I thought that…" She couldn't finish.

"No. No one has come after me." But her voiced concerns gave him an idea, albeit, not a great idea, but it was something. Joe should be able to facilitate the particulars.

"Steve?" She hedged.

He flinched at the sound of her voice and realized that he must have drifted off. "I'm here."

"No, you weren't." She answered softly. "Where'd you go?"

Steve couldn't exactly spell out his plan; it was still forming in his head. When he heard the ragged intake of breath on the other end of the line, he knew that the cat was out of the bag. He should have known better than to try and keep something from Kono.

"You can't do that, Steve. What about Chin?" The pain in her voice nearly snapped his resolve. Steve let the phone slip from his ear as his eyelids dropped closed. The slow hiss of the air conditioner was the only sound inside the darkened offices of Five-0 and it felt wrong…so fucking wrong.

He stumbled toward the door and grabbed his loose shirt, pulling it quickly over his shoulders before putting the phone against his ear again. "Kono." He knew that this was going to hurt his friend and it was tearing him up to say it. "No one member of this team is more important than another, but…Chin is here and Danny's a cop in a South American prison." He could feel the cold knot in his stomach growing and crawling from his gut toward his heart. Steve had to find a way to fix this or the price would be something that he couldn't pay. He needed to find a way to keep Danny safe and he couldn't do that from the outside. "If we don't get him out, he's as good as dead." The last word came out stiff and lost.

"I want him out as bad as you do, Steve. But we need you here. Let Joe get more information and then we can come up with a solution. You don't have to throw yourself into prison too."

The truth behind her words wasn't lost on Steve, but he couldn't allow Danny to suffer for this alone, because he hadn't been alone in that drug den. Steve had been there and he knew that without a needle pointing him toward True North, Danny was likely to lose his way and actually _believe_ that he deserved to be in prison. Steve couldn't allow that poison to destroy his partner.

"Yes, I do." He said helplessly.

"Why?" She asked softly, because she truly wanted to understand the dysfunctional relationship between her boss and his second in command. They were like two halves of one whole, a snarky argumentative whole, but a whole none-the-less.

"Because he's guilty." He answered breathlessly.

 _That_ little revelation certainly clarified a few things. Kono sighed. "I figured." She waited for Steve to say something else, when he didn't she continued. "He was so broken when you came back. I mean, he'd lost his brother so that wasn't unexpected, but he just…I don't know. He was different. Sadder and less involved with everyone but you."

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you."

A long-suffering sigh answered his confession. "We're a team, Steve. You aren't required to share everything with us. Granted, this is something you _should_ have shared. But I get it."

His soft breathing on the other end of the line was the only way she knew that he hadn't hung up. "How can I help?" She finished softly.

H50 H50

Danny shivered inside his tiny cell. He wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the beating he'd taken in the yard just a few hours earlier. Time seemed to lose all meaning in a place like this. He was lucky, nothing seemed to be broken, but he could feel where the blood had caked and dried along his left eye.

Something his mother used to tell him occurred to Danny as he allowed his mind to wander. He had unusually long eyelashes for a guy, and at this exact moment they were sealing his left eye shut quite effectively. He leaned the wall quietly, no sarcastic sound bites slipping past his swollen and bloody lips. The metallic taste of blood that had spread along his teeth was a stark reminder of his hopeless situation. He didn't complain about the cold or the fact that he hadn't been given a blanket to guard against the temperature extremes. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't always warm in South America. When the sun dropped behind the mountains, and the reaching shadows enveloped the prison, it got incredibly cold.

Shivers swam across his body and he wrapped his arms more tightly around his drawn up knees. He didn't dare sleep. The possibility of being attacked inside his cell was too great. He was struck hard by that singular thought and he couldn't help the bubble of loneliness that swelled up inside him. He was truly alone now. After Matt's death he'd been lost. So very lost, but Steve had been there to help piece him back together. Not anymore…now he could shatter in the silence of these stonewalls and no one would care. Hell, they probably wouldn't even notice.

A sadistic part of him wondered what they would do with his body when the prisoners, _or the guards_ , managed to kill him? Would the Columbian government return his remains to Hawaii? Was it possible that Danny could find himself spread out on Max's exam table; just another body displayed for dissection?

His vivid imagination pulled up an image similar to a frog laid out on a silver tray in a Biology class. Only _he_ was the frog…and Max was the student with a scalpel. He shivered at the thought and shoved it away.

In his attempt to protect himself, a wild wide swing had collided just below his eye and Danny knew that beneath the blood were the beginnings of a rather spectacular bruise. He'd tried to fight, but the other inmates didn't hold back. They were stronger and didn't care how much damage they inflicted on some cop from the states. Pain was the only fuel he'd been left with at the end of that first day. He wasn't done fighting. Danny knew that there would be many many more nights like this first one. Nights where his choices would be weighed and measured in the darkness…nights where he'd pay for the sins of his past.

The bile clinging to the back of his throat had probably destroyed his voice. He guessed that it would sound torn and ragged if he tried to use it. Shuffling footsteps stopped just outside his cell and he lifted his battered face. Danny expected that it was about to start again. He was wrong.

"Can you drink?" A man, maybe fifty, and hunched over with malnutrition and abuse shuffled into the light. The dark skin had wrinkled and sagged with age and neglect, but there was a sparkle and a light to his deep brown eyes that prompted Danny to respond.

"Maybe." He answered honestly.

The man nodded once. He set down a plastic cup of water and a tin tray with some bread and beans on it. "You should eat too." He said before turning to leave.

"Wait." Danny managed around the trembling in his voice. It wasn't a command, but a plea. He cleared his throat and forced his beaten body to shift him to his knees. A shiver wracked through his legs and along his arms, pain followed the involuntary spasm. "A blanket? Do you have one?"

The man tipped his shaggy head to the side before leaning out into the corridor. He must not have seen what he was looking for because he held up one finger and shuffled from Danny's cell.

A bone deep ache settled in Danny's chest. He had never given much thought to what would cause the end to his tragic little story. Now he was beginning to think it might be hypothermia. He settled back against the corner, his arms again wrapped around his drawn up knees. Pain twisted inside him and he felt a shudder from the depths of his heart, Danny wanted to keep his promise to Grace, to come home. He knew that breaking that promise to his daughter would destroy a part of her innocence; a part of Grace's childhood would end. Would she ever really understand how much Danny loved her? Could a child ever understand the truly fathomless depths of a parent's love?

Something soft wrapped around his shivering shoulders and pulled Danny back to the tragedy that was his reality. The old man gave him a half smile and nodded before slipping quietly from his room. He pulled the woven blanket tighter. It didn't matter that it smelled of urine and body odor. It was a shield between the cop and the disorder that was this prison and he satires that small comfort.

Steve's face invaded his solitude and Danny couldn't help the sorrow that caused his shoulders to sag a little deeper and his chest to constrict a little harder. He was giving up on his _brother_ …because that was what Steve had become, a brother. He'd willingly offered himself in Mathew's place and Danny had gratefully accepted that gift. Something inside him slipped and he knew that he had to give Steve more time. He had no doubt that the insane SEAL had every member of the Hawaiian government jumping at this point. In one flash of sanity Danny realized that he _didn't_ want to die here. He _hadn't_ earned that ignominious end by killing a scumbag like Marco Reyes.

He was still a good man. His breath escaped in a sharp exhale as he stared at the tiny strip of moonlight slipping through the narrow slit in his wall. He didn't know what would happen tomorrow, but he did know that he would fight until he physically couldn't anymore. When these bastards manage to break him to a point that he no longer remembers what it's like to be _a good man_ …when that happened, he could allow his life to drain away into the slipstream of the cosmos. But until that moment, he would have to fight, for Grace and Charlie, for himself, and for Steve and Five-0.

He settled back, allowing the pain to wash over him before his eyelids dropped closed and the darkness claimed him.

H50 H50

A low rumble outside hauled Danny from his restless sleep. He could feel the tightness along his face and knew, from past experience, that his face had swollen as he slept. He was trying to place the odd sound, because it wasn't an incoming storm. It was too rhythmic, too rehearsed…he forced the last vestiges of exhaustion from his system and grunted as he forced his way to his feet.

The blanket was still wrapped around him like a shroud as he stepped into the long corridor. The sun hadn't started to rise yet and yet many of the men confined to this hellish prison were staring into the courtyard. The rumble had been the stomping of their feet and the low grumbles of discord.

Danny quietly slipped through several men; careful to keep his head covered by the blanket and try to mask his identity. When he reached the balcony overlooking the courtyard he didn't immediately see anything.

And then he saw it…or more accurately _him._

In the courtyard below him was none other than Steve McGarrett. He was pinning a large man beneath him with one of his many ninja-SEAL skills. But there was a split in his lip and Danny could see that he'd already taken down three men.

He tried to take a breath, but the action was nearly impossible, the shock of seeing Steve was too much. He stumbled back, willing his feet to remain under him as he sprang toward the crowded stairs. And for the first time in a long time, Danny was terrified that he'd damned his partner when he'd signed that extradition order. It was supposed to keep Steve safe. Keep him off the CIA's radar. He should have known that he couldn't trust the damn spooks. His lungs were burning and his heart had accelerated to an impossible pounding inside his chest.

Danny burst onto the main floor of the prison, the wrath of God pouring out his bright blue eyes as he scanned the area. He'd forgotten about his own beating mere hours earlier. He shoved the impossible tightness in his muscles into the back of his mind and raced to Steve's side.

Only…he never made it that far…the pain was intense, a migraine of epic proportions tore into his head. He fought against the pain, gasping as it reduced him to something caught in barbed wire. The last thing he heard was a voice calling desperately.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Thanks so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. You guys are awesome? So as promised…Chapter Two. Sorry for the cliffie here… So, how did Steve end up in South America? Revealed in the next chapter…and what the heck is happening to Danny? Also in the next chapter._

 **Please Review: Reviews are love and I love reviews…so let me know what you think of the new chapter.**


	3. Guilt is a State of Mind

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 3**

 _Guilt is a State of Mind_

Ten hours earlier…

Steve blinked several times in reaction to the almost blinding white light of the lightening storm. The smell of ozone was heavy in the early morning air and he found himself staring blankly out at the tumultuous waves of the ocean. A sizzling bolt smashed into the water and dissipated across the miles of fathomless blue-gray. It really was rather impressive. The hair on the back of his arms stood up as the air burned with the power of nature's wrath.

If he'd been asked several days ago if he thought that Five-0 was 'untouchable', he would have said 'yes'. Oh how wrong he would have been. His team was more vulnerable because of who and what they were, not less. And now Danny, that one person that had sacrificed everything for his daughter, was in danger of being cast as a villain in Five-0's story.

So he'd called in Joe White and the man's endless supply of contacts. He'd found the schematics to the prison and he'd committed them to memory. Not that his escape plan would mean anything if Joe and Kono weren't able to hold up their end of the bargain. But he couldn't worry about that right now. He had to make the last flight out for Columbia.

He crouched down in the sand and reached out, allowing the grains to sift through his fingers. The realization that this could be the last time he ever set foot on the beach behind his dad's house… _his house now_ …was not lost on him. He allowed his eyes to drift back to the two mis-matched chairs facing out into the sea. They were a little like he and Danny, unlikely to work together and yet somehow they fit together perfectly.

So now their plan was in motion and Steve had to keep himself and Danny alive for seven days. Just seven days and then they would be getting the hell out of Columbia. His partner's name would be cleared and they would be free of this whole 'Marco Reyes' thing.

H50 H50

The guards came out of nowhere all at once as Steve put the latest guy to come after him down…hard. His wary gaze had landed on Danny as he'd raced into the large courtyard, a shredded and dirty looking blanket hanging loosely over his shoulders. A strangled sound, that fell somewhere between a gasp and a howl, ripped its way out of the SEAL as he started toward his partner. He could see the dried blood on the blonde's face and the way it had dripped down his chin and continued to roll down his chest in a macabre statement of the violence he'd already suffered.

Steve's insides twisted at that crimson stain. On some plain of understanding, he'd known that he wouldn't find his friend unscathed. But the pain already etched into the Jersey man's expression, stole Steve's breath. He thought he'd get to Danny before the guards got ahold of him…he was wrong again.

Only it wasn't him they attacked first, it was Danny. He watched with horror as the meaty fist of a guard slammed down in a knife-edged move at the back of his partner's neck. Danny skidded to a halt and his eyes rolled up into his head. His back arched in what must have been excruciating pain, because there wasn't any other reason for the instantaneous failure of his knee joints as he pitched forward into the grimy dirt.

In a move that would have made a major league baseball player sliding into home proud, Steve managed to get his knees under Danny before he hit the ground. The shudders that were running through his small frame made it hard for Steve to breath. Danny's body was rippling with tremors as they made their way through every muscle of his body; his breathing was slow and labored, rasping through his lungs in something that sounded eerily similar to the spread neck of deflating party balloons.

Without warning he was cracked over the shoulders from behind, his guard down because of his intense concern for Danny. Steve sprawled forward and still he could feel the shaking of Danny's body as he struggled to keep him close and using a singular arm to try and catch himself.

Another blow came from the side and he grunted as it connected with his ribs. This time the blinding pain forced him to roll to the side in an effort to keep from landing on the already injured man beneath him. Steve managed to twist his shoulders so that he landed face up, his hands immediately flying into a defensive position. He never allowed Danny's unmoving form out of his peripheral vision as fought alone in a sea of enemies. The guards were the ones coming after him now; the inmates had swiftly disappeared when the whole fight had shifted to Steve and the enforcers in this _establishment_. Knowing that Danny would suffer more alone was the driving force behind his decision to have himself sent to this hell hole. He needed to be by Danny's side. He already knew that what would happen, not only to him, but also to the Five-0 team if he failed; and it wasn't good.

He couldn't do that again. He'd come too close to losing Danny last year and this time Steve knew he wouldn't survive it. He didn't _want_ to survive it.

"You shouldn't be here, cabrone." One of the men said as he pulled back the butt of his rifle and slammed down into Steve's outstretched hand. The lightening sharp pain stabbed through his arm and up into his skull and he couldn't stop the gasp of surprise and the riptide of agony as the bone broke.

"Son of a bitch!" He muttered before pulling the damaged limb back against his body in an unconscious reaction. Another blow. But this one came from the other side and Steve realized that he'd forgotten there were other threats in this place.

"Don't speak about a Columbian's momma with such disrespect." It was low and full of a promise of more painful lessons to come.

The guard looked up and smiled as the sun started to rise. "Get back to the cell, convict." His eyes dropped to the unmoving form of the blonde detective. "Take him with you."

Ignoring the rising ripples of pain, Steve finally groaned out. "I don't know where it is."

Another painful blow to his side was his answer and Steve knew that he definitely had separated ribs at this point. It wouldn't take too many more blows like that before one of them gave way. "Padre!" The same ill-mannered guard called out loudly.

A small man, barely five feet shuffled out from the shadows. "Si senor?"

"Show him the cop's cell."

"Si, senor."

H50 H50

Danny felt the rush of blood as he surged back into awareness. The pain inside his head was still rattling around like the balls inside a kid's playpen. His chest heaved as he pulled in a breath of acrid dank air and reality seeped back into him. He wasn't in Honolulu and he definitely wasn't in Jersey, because he would have known the ozone and exhaust smell of the city he'd been raised in anywhere. This was different.

Over the years he'd learned to catalog his injuries before he revealed his acuity. He ran a basic 'systems' check of his body. His legs were simply tired. The dull thump of bruising a clue as to his previous state. He hadn't gone under willingly, someone had knocked him into the darkness. He continued his internal assessment; his ribs were throbbing in time with his heart, so again, not broken. But he'd definitely taken some pretty nasty blows along both sides. _Okay, shoulders…_ both were sitting in the sockets, though there was some pulling along his lift, which suggested he'd been slammed into something. He pushed down the desire to try and discern what had happened in favor of continuing his own assessment. Lastly he made it to his head.

The pinging pain told him a story that was both painful and concerning. Danny knew, from past experience, that he'd taken a blow, _a nasty blow_ , to the back of his head. A low grade pummeling reinforced that when he swallowed. The tightness across his face and the metallic tang of blood revealed damage to that as well. So all in all, he wasn't as great as he'd like to be. But he was alive, so that was something.

In that moment the image of Steve planted itself and Danny found his breath freezing inside his lungs. A hand was resting on his chest, like someone needing contact to reassure himself of Danny's status.

"Danny?" the whispered voice was so familiar. And yet hearing it in this place sent a shock of fear coursing through the detective. "You with me?" Steve continued.

His question was answered with the stormy blue of Danny's eye as he slid into consciousness. He groaned before he rolled away from the comforting contact. "No, Danny. Just stay down. You took a pretty good blow to the head."

 _Ah, well that explains the headache._ He had been sure that it had been something worse. "I need to sit up." Danny was moving against the pressure on his chest and he heard McGarrett groan in frustration before he helped ease his friend upright. Danny's gut clenched and he gulped back the spasm that threatened to have him vomiting in the corner.

He jerked and slipped away from Steve's touch, his eyes widening as he frantically looked around. A part of him had been praying that he wasn't right. That he wasn't a in prison and that Steve, _dumbass_ , McGarrett hadn't gotten himself thrown into prison too. His sacrifice hadn't worked. Danny hadn't been able to protect Steve any more than he'd been able to protect Mattie.

An anguish that Steve had never seen on anyone, _and he hoped to never see again_ , folded across Danny's face. Whatever had happened prior to Steve arriving it had brought something out in the smaller man that was so out of character that it was painful to see.

Danny had failed…again. It was too much, it was all too much. The heartbreak that washed through him was as bad as the rage as had been when he'd seen that barrel. Because it wasn't just Matt that had paid for that momentary decision to let him go five years ago, it was also Steve. His good eye drifted over to connect with the sober expression on his partner's face and Danny reigned in the emotions. He swallowed his pain and the helpless feelings and buried them under sixteen years of police work.

"Please say something, Danny." Steve implored softly. He twisted his fingers into the soiled sleeve of Danny's shirt. "Talk to me, buddy. Are you okay?"

Blue eyes raked across the man kneeling over him. There was bruising along Steve's neck that reached up into his hairline and disappeared. A small split in his lower lip had clotted and the swelling looked painful to Danny. It was like driving a iron stake into his already battered heart.

"What are you doing here?" he breathed, blue eyes pinning his best friend.

Steve's gaze dropped and he swallowed thickly at the question. "I'm going to get you out of here." He couldn't believe that Danny would even ask that. Hew as doing the same thing he knew that the spunky blonde from Jersey would have done for him…if their positions had been reversed. "Did you really think I'd let you do this alone?"

Danny looked at his friend, really looked and saw the loyalty and resolve shining out of the SEAL's blue-green eyes. The words he couldn't utter trembled on the edge of his lips. What he was feeling in that moment was tearing him apart inside, because he _wanted_ Steve here with him. He knew that he could do anything with his best friend at his side. But the fear and guilt that was crashing around inside him was stealing his ability to think clearly.

Steve watched as the myriad of emotions flashed across his friend's expression. All he wanted was to get that goddammed broken look off Danny's face. He sank back on his heels.

"Why?" the word slipped past trembling lips as glassy blue eyes lifted to meet the determined look on Steve's face.

"Because I was there too." He heaved in a long breath. "Danny, I would have killed him if you hadn't. So I'm guilty too."

"You didn't pull the trigger." Danny responded softly.

"Not this time."

The bastard had deserved to die, of that Danny was sure, but had he deserved to die in a rat-infested basement at the hands of an angry brother? That's where his certainty gave way to doubt and self-incrimination.

Steve took a chance and reached out, laying his palm on Danny's shoulder. "Buddy, you weren't wrong. The Columbian government would never have prosecuted Reyes." He shook Danny's shoulders to keep his attention when his eyelids drifted shut. "And he had to pay for Matt." His voice trembled with tightly contained emotions and his eyes dropped from Danny's. "He had to."

Danny said nothing; simply stared at the floor as the words sank in. Neither of them said anything for what felt like an eternity. Finally, "Okay."

A rising cacophony of noise drew two pairs of eyes toward the cell door. Men rushed past, silver tin plates held tightly in their hands. "Must be breakfast." Steve muttered.

"What's your plan?" Danny's asked quietly.

Steve's face lit up at the positive shift. "Seven days." He answered quickly.

Confusion rippled through Danny. "Seven days?"

"Yup, seven days buddy."

He frowned. "What happens in seven days?"

Steve dropped into 'commander mode' and his voice evened out in genuine belief. "All hell breaks loose."

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Again, thank you to everyone that took the time to review the last chapter. Much appreciation. Just a side note, I tend to lean more toward Danny whump. Steve generally gets some too, but that's just the stories I write. I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter._

 **Please Review: They are the only love we get, as writers…thanks!**


	4. Day One

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 4:**

 _Day One_

Kono signed the papers and held her tongue as Chin grabbed his badge and gun. She hadn't told her cousin about Steve and he had no idea how she was going to reveal that little nugget of knowledge. The plan was complicated and the sheer amount of pieces that needed to fall into place for it to succeed terrified her. The muscles along the back of her neck were tight and she rolled her head.

 _When we get out of this, Steve…you owe me a day at the Hilton Spa._ She didn't utter a word as her cousin signed out his belongings. His stance was stiff and he was purposely not looking around them. It had happened again. Chin had been accused of something that he couldn't answer for and he wasn't guilty of. Her heart ached for the trials of the man in front of her.

Chin Ho Kelly was one of the finest men she knew. It was his stalwart belief in the law that made her want to be a cop in the first place.

They turned to leave the station and his dark eyes finally found hers. "Where are they?"

Silence answered his question. They stepped out into the falling rain. This was one of the heavy storms; rain was driving down in sheets. The sidewalk was slimy from the extended rainfall and a tiny stream of water was running along the sidewalk.

Kono felt his hand gently grab her arm and pull her around to face him. "Kono, what don't I know?" It was pointed and deserved an answer. The only problem was she didn't how to tell him what Steve had done. What he was risking to save Danny from a Colombian prison… and the more impossible task that he'd left to the remaining Five-0 team members.

"Let's wait until Grover gets here." She turned concerned eyes on her cousin. "I'll explain everything."

H50 H50

Danny leaned against the wall of their makeshift cell. His ankles were stretched out before him; his dress pants smeared with clay and something that looked alarmingly like blood. His vision swam in and out of focus, but from what he was able to see, his dress shirt was torn and more blood matted along his chest and disappeared down his ribcage.

He pulled in a cautious breath and hissed at the pain his expanding chest caused. "Shit…" He whispered.

A familiar pair of cargo covered legs stepped into his field of vision and he blinked several times before glancing up at his friend. His eyes dropped to the swollen and deformed left hand of his partner. "What happened?"

Steve's chin dipped as he glanced down, then shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle."

 _Awe…shit._ Danny thought silently as he skimmed his own hands across the dirty floor and laid them gently in his lap. Thunder cracked outside the cell, the unexpected sound jerked the detective's eyes skyward. The waning light form the small window had turned a deep gray. Blinking several more times to get his bearings, Danny realized that he must have passed out once he and Steve made it back from the courtyard.

He swallowed the dry scratchy ache in his throat. "Any chance you got some water in those survival pants?" His memory was foggy at best, but he was pretty sure there had been a struggle or a fight or something bad. There had been an unexpected and vicious blow to the back of his head and nothing.

"No. They took all my survival gear when I was strip searched." Steve shot back with a lift of his eyebrow.

"Don't be an ass, Steven." Danny growled as he tried to roll to his knees.

Steve immediately moved to try and help. That got him an icy glare and he stepped back with his good hand up. Worried blue eyes again shifted to his busted up hand. "That going to be okay?"

"I don't think going to dispensary would be good for my overall health."

Danny hadn't considered that. But Steve was right, chances of them walking out of the medical facilities probably wasn't great. "Okay." He let the silence drone on for a few minutes while he racked his brain for useful facts. It was trying to catch sand in a bucket with a hole in the bottom. A memory popped in and he forced his eyes open again, _when had they closed?_ "The tin cup? Is there a tin cup?" His question was framed with an alertness that hadn't been there a moment before, though his eyes remained closed.

He could hear Steve shuffling around and then there was yip of triumph. "Got it. I'm going to climb up and get you some of the rainwater."

"I'd like mine sparkling, please. And did you just _yip_?" Danny mumbled softly.

"You _would_ want sparkling water while we're stuck in a Colombian prison and no. I did not just 'yip'." The SEAL grumbled under his breath. There was no heat to the comment, just the normal banter. He drifted into silence as he filled the tin cup; it only took a moment as the rain increased in strength. Rivers of water gushed past the cell door and Steve was surprised to notice the grade to the floor. It directed all the water to the courtyard out front, thus keeping the cells relatively dry.

"What's with you?" Danny tried to peer over his shoulder as he knelt down next to his friend. He immediately sank back when his stomach threatened to rebel.

"I'm…"

"You're what? Putting in for a new partner?" He knew it wasn't all that funny under the circumstances, but Danny was tired of feeling hopeless.

"Not funny." Steve bit out as he turned back and looked his friend. Danny simply shrugged and that seemed to set the SEAL on his heels a bit. "I'm just…"

"Worried?"

The taller man shifted and sank down next to the detective. Danny slowly drained the cup and licked his lips before turning to Steve again. "Worrying just gets you wrinkles." He said calmly.

It was Steve's turn to frown. "What the hell is up with you?"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Guess I know when I'm beat." He muttered softly.

Steve slid his eyes over to Danny. "You can't think like that, buddy. I'm getting you out of here."

Danny turned. "I don't know if you noticed, but you're in jail too, pal." He inhaled and then shook his head as the weight of their predicament settled on his shoulders. "And you shouldn't be. I knew what I was doing when I signed that extradition order, Steven."

"You never should've been offered that _to_ sign." Steve shot back. He was still angry that the CIA had gotten to Danny when he wasn't paying attention. It had all been going so well…he should have known that the bottom was about to drop out.

The sun was setting and the rain continued to fall in a heavy sheet of gray. The water continued to race past their shared cell.

"You can't save everyone, Steve. No matter how much you want to." Danny's mouth thinned into a long line of regret. "Sometimes they don't deserve to be saved."

"Fuck that." It was short and heated, punctuated with the SEAL's blue-green eyes as he deliberately shifted so Danny couldn't avoid his gaze.

The detective couldn't help the curve of his lips as a small smile pulled at the edges. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"As a matter of fact I do." Steve glanced at the cell door as a man rushed past before returning his attention to Danny. "And sometimes yours too."

The blonde's eyebrows cut down in irritation. "Your lips better stay as far away from my mom as you can get them."

Another inmate raced past and both the SEAL and the detective felt their trouble radar go off.

"Your spidey sense tingling?" Danny asked.

His uneducated friend shot him a blank look. "Spidey sense?"

Danny was briefly distracted by the question. "Oh my god if you tell me that you don't know who Spiderman is, I'm gonna punch you."

"That's the one in the red suit, right?"

They settled into the rhythm of banter that was uniquely theirs. "Jesus Steven, pick up a comic book once in a while or go see a movie. They're called superheroes for crying out loud."

"I'm familiar with the concept. I just think our actual life is far better than any movie, that's all."

"That's probably true. But how can I pop culture references if you don't understand them?" Danny brought his head up and turned to look at his friend.

Steve shrugged easily. "You'll just have to explain them." The small cell smelled of age and other odors that Steve couldn't readily identify. A part of him knew that he wouldn't want to know even if he could.

Danny signaled his irritation in an eye roll that would have made Gracie proud… _Gracie…who was watching over Grace and Charlie_?

"One, they lose their meaning if I have to explain them. And two, who is watching my kid while you're in prison with me?"

Steve never had the chance to answer as a crowd of inmates surged into their cell. Only the honed and lightning fast reflexes of both men saved them from being caught on the ground.

One man grabbed Danny and he spun around, his fist flying out and catching the rough guy in the nose. The feeling of crunching cartilage nearly had Danny hurling in the corner. He chalked it up to his searing headache, since he wasn't normally squeamish. He could hear Steve fighting his own battle, but he couldn't catch sight of his friend through the mob of men in the tiny cell.

Three large inmates that looked like they hadn't bathed in a week, descended on Danny like avenging angels. Sweat gathered along the back of his neck and he knew that their day was just starting. The sun had all but disappeared and the prison was lowly lit with the storm making it feel even darker. He licked his lips, forcing himself to look at the three men. He couldn't hear Steve anymore and he had no idea what that meant.

His partner had told him that he had a plan to get them out. All they had to do was survive for seven days.

A crash echoed down the corridor and suddenly Danny didn't question where Steve had been taken. He was back in the courtyard and he was going to need his partner to make out of there alive. The moment of distraction was all they needed to rush him, pinning his arms to his side.

Then the pain hit him. It was searing and had him arching his back in a reversed crescent shape. His neck tightened and his face twisted into an anguished pull of pain. Danny crashed to his knees as he tried to understand what the hell had just happened.

"Danny?!" Steve's rough call reverberated through the prison.

Danny barely heard it as his eyes dropped to the rough piece of compressed paper that now protruded from his upper thigh. He slid down in a pile of boneless, quivering flesh. He'd heard of the weapons made by prisoners, but he'd never actually seen one as compact or as inventive as the one slowly soaking up the crimson blood from his leg. _That's probably not good…_ he couldn't help the panting breaths that stole his focus.

The detective lifted tragic eyes and nearly suffocated on the fear as Steve's prone body was tossed back into the cell. His arms pin-wheeled and he hit the ground without trying to save himself. Danny winced at the sound of his partner crashing into the floor.

His world was spinning and his body was a thousand tiny pinpricks of crawling sensations. A voice hovered just above him and the detective forced his gaze up. As he breathed, he felt something rattle inside him and he knew that something, beside his leg, wasn't right. "You don't belong here, gringo."

Steve gasped and then spluttered as he fought his way back to consciousness…and Danny. He hefted his arms off the dirt, trying desperately to pull his fractured vision into focus. His heart slammed against the base of his throat when he didn't immediately see Danny.

Something crashed into his head. The cell began to cave in around him, the dim light was spiraling in at the edges, and only the sound of an accented voice broke through. "I'll care for him…" Steve sank into a darkness that erased all knowledge and left him in a void.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _And it's just beginning…night one. Thank you so very much to all of you that read and reviewed the previous chapter. I'd love to hear from all of you on this one too…if it's not too much trouble. More of the cousin's in the following chapter and more bromance and a surprise for our favorite Five-0 partners._

 **Please Review: They really do motivate us writers…so thank you for taking the time.**


	5. All Good Plans

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 5:**

 _All Good Plans…_

Chin let his hand drift across his jeans, he picked at the seam out of habit. He was still trying to process everything that Kono had just laid on him. Danny being arrested? Okay, he knew about that, but the fact that Steve had had himself tossed into prison with his partner had been a complete surprise.

"I'm sorry he left while you were in custody, Chin." Kono apologized.

He shook his head. "He did what he thought was right." The man he considered on one of his best friends always did what was right. He wasn't about to admit that it hurt a little that he'd been the one left to fend for himself. That wasn't fair and he knew it. He sighed and grabbed the handle as Kono pulled up in front his house. "We need to get Danny out of there…and Steve."

Lou waived from the porch. The man was sitting with some sort of fruity drink, his feet up on Chin's railing. Grover looked for all the world like he was on vacation. It wasn't what Chin had expected. He swallowed his immediate reaction and shoved the door open. He stopped when he saw the chimes Malia had given him waver in the light breeze. The rain was falling in a steady stream of cool clear water, he lifted his face and the let water softly pelt his skin. He hadn't been certain he'd see his home again, only it wasn't just _his_ home, it had been the one place he shared with the love his life.

His gaze drifted to the flowers she had planted and a pain that would never fully heal flared within him. "Chin?" Kono interrupted his thoughts and hurried to step beneath the porch.

"Glad to see you out." Lou said easily.

"I believe we have some things to discuss?" Chin responded, his eyes drifting to Kono as she nodded and pointed at the house.

"Not out here."

Once inside, Chin peeled his jacket off and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. He bypassed the water completely and went straight for the alcohol. Kono lifted an eyebrow and then nodded. "Probably not a bad idea."

"So what's with all the cloak and dagger, cousin?"

Joe stepped around the corner; Chin hadn't even realized the man was there. "It's necessary."

Lou frowned, his face showing his growing irritation with the silence and riddles. "How the hell are we getting our boys out?"

"There's a man inside. He has promised to keep Steve and Danny alive until next Sunday."

Chin leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his glass dangling loosely in his fingers. "What happens on Sunday?"

"A delegation from the United States is scheduled to be in Colombia. I have secured our positions on that delegation."

Lou groaned. "That gets us into the country, not the prison."

"That plan is in place."

Chin inhaled and shook his head. "Who's behind this? Getting us into a country that historically isn't all that happy to see Americans."

Joe didn't answer and his silence told Chin everything he needed to know. _Doris McGarrett_.

H50 H50

Sparks along the edges of his vision hauled Danny back toward the pain of reality. It was just enough to focus him, but not enough to keep him from noticing the pain lighting up his body. It wasn't just from one area; it felt like his entire body was rebelling and stabbing him everywhere. It radiated down his jaw, along his neck into his chest and then ended in his leg.

He bit back a groan, squeezed his eyelids tightly together and worked through his situation. The moment he opened his eyes, he knew….he knew that he hadn't been alone and that something had happened to Steve. His teeth grated along the abraded skin of his inner cheek, and Danny was certain that he'd taken a hell of hit to cause him to bite it that hard.

"Quiet now, detective." A heavily accented voice helped him complete the transition between the darkness and awareness.

His instincts took over and Danny blinked quickly to try and focus his eyes. A cold spike of fear made for the center of his heart, he ground his teeth together trying to get a handle on it. "Steve?" A hand pushed gently at his chest.

"He's okay. Unconscious, but okay." It didn't erase the fear, but it allowed the detective to control it.

Pain made Danny's answer tight and uneven. "Who are you?" He tilted his head and ignored the rotating world around him as his stomach argued with his decision. He finally managed to focus on the fuzzy outline of the man in front of him.

It was the same bent old man that had given him the blanket the first night he'd arrived. "Petros. My name is Petros."

"That it? Like Bono or Madonna?"

The man's head tilted to the side and he raised an eyebrow. "I am not a singer."

"Not what I meant." Danny rasped out before he grimaced in pain. "My friend?"

The man sighed. "As I said, he is alive." He was silent for a moment and Danny felt the gnarled fingers probe along the painful hole in his leg. "I need to stop this bleeding." In that moment Danny recognized the acrid scent of something burning. A flutter in his stomach warned him of the coming act. "This will hurt. I am sorry."

And without any more warning, the old man laid whatever he'd been burning across Danny's flesh and he couldn't stop the scream that ripped its way free.

H50 H50

Steve was hauled back to consciousness by a throaty cry of pain that he would recognize anywhere. He groaned as his own head thumped and then hissed when he placed his hand on the floor and pain shot up his arm. "Son of a bitch…" He breathed before shifting his weight to his good arm.

A pang in his side told him he now had, at minimum, separated ribs to contend with. "Danny?" He ground out as his eyes slowly focused in the low light. Danny didn't reply. "Danny!" he choked on the name as he again called out before he saw the man leaning over his partner's unmoving legs.

"You're Petros…aren't you." He asked as he forced his tired, bruised body to close the distance between him and Danny.

"I am. The plan is in play, senior commander. But you must survive until then. I cannot promise you that." His words pulled the bile up Steve's throat and he swallowed the burning sensation back with an effort that was almost more than he could muster.

"Is he…?" he couldn't finish the question. Because if Danny hadn't made it, then this whole thing was for nothing. Words from his past barreled through his head, _It wasn't for nothing._ But this time it would be. It would be for nothing if they lost Danny. The seared flesh around the gaping hole in his partner's leg told a painful story and Steve gulped as he waited for an answer.

"Dead? No, he is not dead. Just passed out."

Steve dragged his hand down his face and nodded once, a painful reality crashing into him. "Okay." He managed softly before sinking down a few feet from his friend. He let his eyes drop to the bruises on the smaller man's face. "What about his leg?"

"I've stopped the bleeding for now. He needs medical care. But not here." Petros's soft brown gaze shifted to Steve's battered hand. "That needs to be set properly."

The cold claw of fear ripped into him and for the first time Steve considered that this might have been a mistake. Not trying to save Danny, he would always try to save Danny, but his plan in general. So much of it hinged on the actions of others and he had no control…not now. Not in here. Guilt tangled with his fear and the burn of tears had Steve wiping at his eyes. "It can wait."

"It cannot wait long, senior commander."

"It can wait." Steve repeated softly as he willed his pained muscles to move. He crawled the remaining few feet separating himself and his partner. "Danny?" He called. "Hey buddy…you napping again?"

A huff of air and a quiet groan, movement along the long muscles of the detective's legs alerted Steve to his coming awareness. "Not napping…got stabbed. It hurt." Danny ground past white teeth. He pushed open his eyelids and after a moment his gaze fell on Steve. "Shit. We're still alive."

Steve couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. His gaze sweeping over to Petros in gratitude. "We are." He received only a slight nod in return, but it was enough. There was no weakness in Danny's gaze as Steve's eyes dropped to the icy blue of the detective's, only resolve and he knew that he couldn't ask for a better partner. Danny truly was his counterpart in every way.

Steve had been down the dark roads in the past. Roads where he'd allowed himself to feel broken, weak, even wounded. But as he stared into those eyes, Steve knew that they were going to make it out of this. This wasn't one of those times he had to dig deep and the find the will to keep going, searching for a strength greater than his own. No, this time he had his strength with him, here in this cell. Because the idea of failure was simply unacceptable.

He watched Danny's hand come up and probe at his jaw, gripping at the pain that seemed to go all the way to the bone. "You okay?"

"No, I am not okay, Steven. I have a hole in my leg and it hurts like hell. And I'm starting to think we aren't getting out this…not alive."

Some time between Danny waking up and Steve drifting off in his own thoughts, Petros must have slipped from the cell. They were alone. Steve knelt next to Danny, helping him shift and lean against the wall. He ignored the grimace on his friend's face in favor of trying to keep his own concern at bay.

"We are going to get out of this alive, Danny. I promise." Steve let his eyelids fall shut, his forehead resting on his own drawn up knees as he sank next to Danny. It was a mirror of how they'd been sitting before the cell had been rushed. A gnawing pain in his stomach reminded Steve that he hadn't eaten since he'd arrived, which meant that Danny probably hadn't either. "They ever feed us in here?"

"Sure. If you want to fight your way through the lunch line." Danny turned and looked at Steve. "Trust me, the lunch ladies here are terrible. Worse than Jersey."

He chuckled, then groaned at the pain in his ribs. "Think you can make it to the mess hall?"

"Mess hall?" Danny said, turning to look at Steve. "It's not the Army."

"Navy, Danny…the Navy. Are you ever going to get that right?"

Danny seemed to rouse a bit at that. "Maybe…someday." He actually smiled and Steve could feel some of the tension drain from him. Danny started to haul his battered body upright, the sweat gathering on his lip, the only evidence of the pain Steve knew he must be in.

Steve ignored his own dizziness as he helped Danny get to his feet. He was very careful to keep his eyes from connecting with his partners, afraid that he would see the miserable truth; Steve was scared and he had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

Once Danny was on his feet, he carefully inserted himself beneath his shorter friends arm. He bit at the inside of his cheek as the pain from his own injuries reminded him that he wasn't all that well off himself.

Danny knew that he would fight along side his friend until this fight was over, until they'd put the last bad guy in the ground. But as he looked around, their current situation weighed heavily on his mind and he wondered if there would more days like this?

Was it possible that they would never make it to those two chairs waiting just inside of the ocean, on the small beach behind his house? Steve didn't know anymore. And that was freaking terrifying.

"Hey, are you okay?" Danny's voice interrupted Steve's musing and he tensed at the question.

 _Was he okay? Wasn't this supposed to be Danny's trial?_ Finally he manages a nod and a dim reflection of a cheeky smile. "I'm fine, Danny. I didn't just get stabbed in the leg."

"And burned. Don't forget I got burned."

Steve nods once. "And burned." He shifted Danny's not insignificant weight and then winced at the pained gasp from the detective. "Sorry. Lets get you some food."

H50 H50

Danny allowed Steve to shoulder more of his weight than he would normally. Fact was, he wasn't sure he could stay on his feet without the aid of his friend. He knew that he was practically dead weight, but there wasn't much he could do about that at the moment. Maybe with some sleep and some food he could take more on as Steve explained this crazy ass plan he had to get them out.

The hallway was dark, several inmates shuffled along through the dirt, their pants leaving draglines in the mud that caked the edges of the walls. They each carried a small tin and a cup, dark sinister eyes raised to meet Danny and Steve as they made their way toward the mess area. They muttered something in Spanish and Danny wished for the thousandth time that he'd taken that in high school instead of Russian. But there had been a pretty exchange student involved and he hadn't been thinking about his future at the time.

His leg throbbed with greater and greater intensity and he couldn't quite get it in front of the other as they rounded the last corner. He stumbled and hissed when Steve's grip gave out causing him to drop to his knees. He gagged on the bile that immediately raced up his throat and threatened to spill down his chest.

"Shit, Danny? You okay?" Steve rasped out as he carefully helped him back to unsteady feet. His hands were pressing into the bruised flesh of the detective's ribcage and he bit back the desire to move away from the painful contact. Because he knew he couldn't maintain his own balance, he needed Steve.

Two hundred pairs of eyes shifted in their direction as they entered the mess hall. None of them looked friendly. "I don't think they're happy to see us." Danny managed in a low whisper.

"You think?" Steve shot back with a snort.

The men behind the food line tilted their heads, allowing their gazes to shift to the back of the room, as if looking for permission before the cops were given two small tins with black beans, tortillas, and a piece of cornbread. It wasn't much, but it smelled amazing and Danny's stomach growled hungrily.

They ended up at a table at the far end of the common area, the feeling of being watched pressing into their backs. Danny knew that these men were just biding their time, searching for a weakness, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. So he pushed down the fear and the pain and looked at Steve. "How're we getting out of here?" He inhaled and felt _something_ rattle inside his chest. "Because I don't think we're going to make it a week."

He watched as Steve's eyes lifted from his plate and he scanned the room full of convicted murderers, thieves, and probably one or two innocent men. He turned so he was facing Danny fully. "Do you remember the old man?"

Danny frowned, his forehead crinkling with recognition. "Yeah?"

"He's our way out."

Danny twisted the wooden spoon in his hands and thought about that for a moment. He felt an acute stab of longing for the team he knew was still in Hawaii. They were so strong when they were together. Like a team of super heroes...maybe the Avengers? If so, he was calling Captain America, because...well, because he was blonde so it just made sense. He figured that Steve could be Tony Stark and Lou would be the Hulk...obviously. Kono could be Black Widow and Chin would be Thor. He didn't know why Chin was Thor and he wasn't going to question it. But then he was also grateful that they weren't there. That Kono, Chin, and Lou wouldn't have to suffer the same fate that had to be in store for them...his gaze lifted to Steve and he was caught off guard by the rage that barreled through him. And Steve…he wouldn't be facing this small army of convicts alone, no, they would go after Steve too. He felt something half-way between a sob and a groan catch in the back of his throat.

"Danny? Hey Danny?" Stevens worried voice was just in the periphery of his hearing. Like someone was speaking to him under water.

A guard came out of nowhere and stepped up to their table, his assault rifle slung across his chest like a shield. "You. Cop. You need to go to the infirmary."

Steve was on his feet instantly. He hadn't seen the second guard just behind the shadowed pillar. He was shocked when the butt of a rifle slammed into his lower back and splitting pain burned along the area as his muscles gave out and he dropped to his knees. "Shut up, prisoner." The man growled, holding his rifle threateningly.

"Steve, stop." Danny said softly. He looked longingly at his untouched food and then slowly made his way to his feet. He wavered as weakness and pain sucked the strength from normally strong muscles.

"He can't walk you bastard." Steve bit out angrily. Another blow was delivered, this time to his jaw. Danny watched in horror as his partner's head cracked to the side and he slumped forward, his hand now holding his face.

"I said shut up." The guard repeated in a tight angry voice. His cold dark eyes shifted to Danny. "He'll have to figure it out." He took a step toward Danny's bowed frame. "Or I can drag you."

Steve started to move again, only a click from behind him stopped his plan to get to Danny. He closed his eyes and slowly opened them before looking over his shoulder into the muzzle of another rifle.

"It's okay, Steve." Danny reassured as he struggled to maintain his balance. His leg was on fire and his broken ribs had him trembling to control the pain.

"We just want to wrap the leg." One of the guards said with a sadistic smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure you want to give me the best care this place has to offer." Danny whispered as he managed a halting shuffle toward the gate where another guard waited.

Steve hissed angrily. "He better come back better than he left."

Danny couldn't help the slight smile that pulled at his lips at his best friend's threat. It was an empty threat and they all knew it. Just before they made it past the gate one of the guard leaned in. "The Reyes family sends their regards." He slammed his elbow into Danny and he fell forward as his legs gave way under the pain.

He heard Steve's howl of rage as the gate clicked shut with a resounding clang, separating them.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _So, yeah…here's the next chapter. You can blame one of the awesome reviews I got for this. Because separating the boys is a brilliant way to torture them both. It's gonna be bad, but they are going to get out and no, no one is going to permanently injured from this. Although Danny may disagree and Steve isn't going to do much better. So yay! Whump for everyone._

 **Thanks for the reviews, you guys are awesome. If you can…Please Review.**


	6. Dark Places

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 6:**

 _Dark Places_

Steve surged to his feet, his body swaying with weakness as he did. His vision was blurry around the edges and his legs wobbled. He didn't care. He had to get to Danny. The resounding laughter of the inmates in the mess hall dug into his already lacerated soul. They thought this was funny; his inability to save his best friend. The guilt pouring through him was nearly choking his ability to think clearly. He forced his gaze to settle on a point several feet ahead of him and gulped back the nausea that threatened to steal his determination.

After a moment, Steve was able to get his body to cooperate; he made his way to the sealed gate. It was iron and thick, so thick he was sure that he wouldn't be breaking this down with anything less than a tank. Which he certainly didn't have access to…unfortunately? His fingers snaked around the thick black barrier separating him from Danny. He'd hoped that he could at least catch a glimpse of his partner, but no, he couldn't see a damn thing on the other side. He thought he heard Danny cry out, but he couldn't sure if that was his friend or just his brain torturing him.

"Senior commander?" Petros stepped close, he handed Steve a tin cup full of water and two white pills.

Steve barely allowed his eyes to shift long enough to recognize the meds before he was again staring into the darkness on the other side. "What are they?" he questioned.

"Tylenol." Petros answered quietly. "I couldn't get anything stronger, I tried." His gaze again shifted to the mangled hand. It was swollen and discolored, the skin pulling tightly across the obvious broken bones. "I can try and set that?"

All he could do was shake his head. Steve couldn't focus on his own pain right now; he had to figure out how to get to Danny. "How do I get in there?"

"You do not." Petros said with a shrug of his thin shoulders.

That had Steve turning his angry glare on the smaller man. "I can't exactly leave my partner in their hands, now can I." It wasn't a question; it was a statement, a fact that he couldn't ignore. Steve wouldn't abandon Danny to the ministrations of some sadistic doctor. Or worse, what if the person was on Reyes's payroll? Or the CIA's? No, making sure that he and Danny were in the same area was key to their continued survival. There was no way that either of them survives this if they remained separated.

Petros again tried to hand Steve the white pills, he finally took them and tossed them back with a few gulps from the tin cup. The water tasted terrible, a muddy and metallic taste permeated the liquid. But it got something into his stomach, so Steve supposed that was something. He ignored the pain of his hand and looked around the area. His eyes landed on a guard and a very bad idea formed. He shook his head before stalking toward the man with the rifle.

H50 H50

Danny wasn't all that sure there was anything but pain keeping him grounded. His leg was burning, his head was splitting, and his heart was breaking. He knew that what Steve had seen must have been tearing his friend apart. Because if their rolls were reversed, he'd be going out of his mind, tearing down those damned iron bars in an attempt to get to Steve…to help. As a matter of fact, Danny _had_ been there. When he'd realized that Steve had been taken by Wo Fat, he'd known that he wouldn't rest until they found his partner. It had been so soon after Mattie's death and Danny had been relying heavily on his friend, he wasn't ready to face the tragedy alone.

And oh god…that moment when he slipped through that door and seen the state of that room. Danny had been terrified that he'd been too late. That he'd lost his best friend and he hadn't been good enough…he'd hadn't been strong enough to save Steve. But that hadn't been true. The stronger than nails SEAL had been alive, but Wo Fat had messed with his mind. Steve was stuck in a memory loop that wasn't real. And Danny had had to watch as his friend relived the death of his father again. By the time the Jersey detective had met his future partner, Steve had dealt with the initial shock of his father's death.

But watching Steve take it in and slowly break in front of him had been one of the worst things that Danny had ever had to do. The one time that may have trumped it was telling his parents of Matthews murder in Colombia. And now there was a very good chance that his parents were going to lost their eldest son to the same fate. He wasn't sure what was worse. Knowing that he probably wouldn't make it home, or knowing that his parents would hear of his death from another member of Five-0. Pain pulled him back to his present situation and he groaned as the guards grabbed him and shoved him forward.

The guards _helped_ him to the infirmary. Okay, help wasn't exactly the right word; they'd shoved, pushed, prodded, and forced him through those doors. He'd taken another hit to the back of his head, which stunned him into compliance. At least long enough for them to get his squirming body secured to a rickety bed. He might not be the tallest guy, but Danny was solid muscle and not exactly light. His arms had been strapped to his sides and his legs were currently being immobilized by a set of iron leg cuffs. They hefted up the bottom of his trousers and the feeling of the cold metal on his skin told Danny that he was going to have a tough time pulling free. The bastards cinched down the iron leg cuffs so much that they bit painfully into the tender skin around his ankles.

A shadow appeared from a dark corner of the room, he was pulling on a white _doctor's_ coat. Danny was fairly certain that this guy wasn't any kind of doctor he would ever go see. "We're going to get you taken care of, cop." The man in the surgeons mask said in low growl. He wasn't Colombian, which concerned Danny enough to keep him focusing past the pain.

"Why are you doing this?" Danny forced past cracked lips. His vision was blurry around the edges and his head was killing him. The sheets were scratchy and he could literally feel the bed bugs climbing onto his skin. At least he thought he could feel them.

Gray eyes lifted to meet his and the icy chill emanating from deep inside them sent a shiver skipping through Danny. "I think you can figure it out, Detective Daniel Williams. I've heard you are a smart man. Maybe a little too smart."

Danny hissed a short breath around his aching body. "You're American. What the hell are you doing helping a bunch of douchebag drug dealers?" Maybe if he could keep the man talking, he could avoid the inevitable…Danny's gaze shifted to the man's pocket when his hand dipped inside and pulled something out.

A snort and then the man shook his head. "I suppose money isn't a good enough answer?"

"Not really, no." He ground out around the uncomfortable climbing feeling of the invisible bugs.

The man inhaled slowly before sitting on the edge of Danny's crummy little bed, rolling a bottle of something in his hand and looking pointedly at a syringe in his other hand. "Then I suppose revenge with have to suffice." He pulled the amber colored liquid into the needle and then tapped it twice.

Danny's eyes widened as he watched, his fear rising, when several drops of the liquid squirted from the end of the large gauge needle. "What is that?"

He held up the syringe and then turned to look at Danny. "Just something to make this…more unpleasant."

Before Danny could say anything else he drove the needle painfully into the crook at Danny's elbow. His entire body clenched and he pulled uselessly at the restraints as the liquid burned through him. His vision dimmed at the edges and the world took on a purple haze around the edges.

Thoughts became like clouds and he couldn't hang onto them as they floated past him and dissipated into nothingness. But the pain, the pain magnified and Danny couldn't help the groan that lipped past his defenses. He didn't want this son of a bitch to hear his pain, but he couldn't stop it. Every injury magnified to an overshadowing agony that was beyond his body's meager ability to handle.

"It's interesting. Isn't it, detective?"

Through the echoes of the old and new wounds, Danny managed to hear what the man had said. "What…what is?"

"The body's ability to remember every little thing it has suffered over the course of a lifetime. Every broken bone, every skinned knee…" he stepped closer and leaned over Danny's thrashing head. "Every fear, magnified beyond comprehension. I believe you'll find my little cocktail, enlightening."

"Ah…god…you bastard." The detective ground passed clenched teeth. His entire body bunched and coiled as the muscles contracted painfully.

"Hallucinogens can be tricky. Every one reacts a little different. I am thrilled to see what your mind comes up with, detective."

H50 H50

Steve grabbed the rifle before the man even realized he was there. He was fast, even injured he was fast and he was counting on that speed now. His injuries were slight, but enough to have him gritting his teeth as he threw the second punch. It landed across the man's jaw and he folded like a cheap suit. But Steve wasn't so lucky as the other guards rushed in from every corner. His muscles contracted under the onslaught of fists, he fought off the first two, but there were so many more of them than he was able to keep track of. One got behind him and slammed his palms into Steve's back.

He wasn't able to correct for the loss of balance or the pain as his legs gave way and collapsed forward onto his knees. He curled his arm around his ribs in an effort to control where the bastard's booted toes landed.

A blow he didn't see coming clobbered the side of his head and he was pretty sure his orbital bone was cracked as fiery pain ripped through him. Unfortunately it also stole his grasp on reality and sent him crashing into darkness. The last thought that ran through his mind was that maybe this hadn't been one of his better ideas. Although there was no way that he was ever going to admit that to Danny…or anyone else.

H50 H50

Waking up in complete darkness is the absolute worst. Steve had no idea what time of day it was. He had no clue how long he'd been out or what had transpired while he was unconscious. His training kicked in and he took a moment to take stock of his current situation. He already knew he couldn't see a damn thing. But his body was telling him a nasty story and he knew that could spell trouble for his plan. His entire ribcage was lit up in a crescendo of grabbing pain. He quietly shifted to his knees and then groaned as his head exploded in flashes of white light.

"Son of…" He uttered and then decided that talking wasn't the best thing…not at the moment; it hurt too much. He took a moment and waited for his head to settle into one set of drums instead of an entire percussion section.

As he waited for his head to clear or calm down, he heard something. Steve held his breath and listened closer. In the pitch black he heard the distinct sound of someone breathing…it was low and unsteady, but it was sure as hell there.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _New chapter, here you guys go! Thank you so much for the reviews and the comments, you guys are great!_

 **If you can spare a moment: Please leave a review? Pretty pretty, please? And thank you.**


	7. A New Ohana

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 7:**

 _A New Ohana_

To say that Chin was incredulous would have been an understatement. He was staring at Joe in shocked silence. This plan had very little chance of working and what was worse, was that there were no other options now. Steve had seen to that when he'd taken the plunge inside of a Colombian prison and left the leg work up to his team. It wasn't that that was a problem; it was that there was only this _one_ option. If things went sideways on them, they were all pretty much screwed.

He leaned against the railing on his porch and let the Hawaiian breeze drift across his skin. Their lives weren't all that great recently. A lot of things happening that were creating problems for the team in general. Chin was having issues with Gabriel. Kono and Adam were still trying to escape the mistakes of his father. Danny was one walking problem. The loss of his brother had hit him hard, not to mention getting taken last year and all the problems that had come from that. And Steve? Well, Steve was still dealing with what Wo Fat had done to him. And the shift in the team was palpable. They were each still pulling their weight, but they were al a little distracted.

"It will work, Chin." Joe said simply.

Unconvinced brown eyes lifted to meet the intense blue of the older man. "Joe, there are so many moving parts. If even one of those falls through, Steve and Danny die. There's no margin for error here." He shook his head. "And that concerns me."

Kono stepped from the house. Here features soft and supportive. "Then we don't make any errors."

"Kono, you know better than that." Chin knew that his cousin was aware that things often skidded sideways for Five-0. So he was curious where the newfound optimism was coming from. He stepped toward her. "What makes you so sure it'll work."

She smiled. It didn't reach her eyes. "Because it has to." Kono blinked and the smile dropped away. "Because there aren't any other options here."

"I've been in communication with my contact. We can shave one day off the rescue mission, so Saturday is the day." His voice softened and Lou picked up on the subtle change.

"What's happened, Joe? Are our guys okay?"

Chin stepped away from the railing, his attention fully focused on the man standing in his kitchen. "Joe?" He asked when the silence went on too long. A pang of fear licked along his insides and twisted them painfully in concern. He hadn't wanted to believe that they could actually be too late. That things would have progressed to a point where it wouldn't matter if they made it to Colombia, his friends _couldn't_ be saved.

"Calm down. They're both alive."

"And safe?" Lou asked pointedly.

Chin lifted his gaze and tilted his head to the side. He wanted to know that too.

"Last I heard. They are alive, but I'm not sure if I would call them _safe_." He sighed. "They're in cartel country. Reye's country." He didn't want to lie to them and yet he wished that he'd been able to find a better way to get them out. But as it stood, this was the best plan and Joe wasn't all that confident it would succeed.

Chin's frustration finally made it to the surface. "Did you even _try_ to stop them? To stop Steve from diving full tilt into a suicide mission?"

"Have you ever tried to stop to McGarrett from doing anything? Has it ever worked?" Because I've known that boy for a very long time and I've never been able to convince him of anything." Joe's words were painful to hear, but they were also accurate and that made it so much worse. "Especially when he had friends on the hook. He'd take a bullet for any one of you."

It was Kono's turn to weigh in. "But for Danny?" She allowed the fear and the anger to cloud her normally clear features. "Oh my god…what he will do for Danny is scary as hell."

"So lets make sure this isn't their last mission together. Okay?" Joe said earnestly.

"When do we leave?" Chin remarked after a moment of reflection. Not on the situation. He knew he was going after Steve and Danny, but on the nature of Five-0's relationships with one another. They really were family, Ohana.

H50 H50

 _Danny watched Steve as he stared out at the ocean. He hadn't really talked about what Wo Fat had been tinkering with inside his head. Danny knew that his partner had believed, one hundred percent that his father was alive when he'd come to. So that was obviously one of the memories that had been toyed with. And to be completely honest? That was enough._

 _The mere thought of believing, even for a moment, that Matthew was still alive and then having that ripped away from him was devastating. So he knew what his partner was feeling. Danny had been on the receiving end of that kind of guilt and it weighs a person down in a way that nothing else can._

 _His heart ached for his best friend and yet to few times he'd tried to get Steve to open up, the stubborn SEAL had simply shook his head and secluded himself inside his room. It was so hard to watch. The house was too quiet and it made Danny feel more alone than he'd felt since moving to Hawaii and meeting Steven J. McGarrett._

 _The damn man hadn't left Danny alone since he'd highjacked the detective's life. Every waking moment was somehow filled with Steve's larger than life presence. But now as Danny stood on the patio behind the house and watched his best friend stare forlornly out at the crashing waves he wondered if he would get that man back. The one that insisted on ordering pizza with fricking pineapple on it; and ham! That was just wrong on so many levels that Danny couldn't even wrap his New Jersey brain around it._

 _Seriously, who puts fruit and breakfast meat on their pizza? He'd even offered to bake an authentic 'pie' for his Neanderthal partner, but Steve had refused to eat it without the disgusting fruit. So Danny had refused to make it._

" _If you're making it for me, then I should get to have whatever I want on it." Steve said innocently._

 _Danny huffed in real irritation. "No, Steven. I am making it so you know the difference between that thing masquerading as pizza and a real pizza pie." His hands punctuated his points as he ticked off all the reason he wouldn't allow Steve to destroy a good pizza. "First, there should never and I mean 'never' be a piece of fruit on something that's a dinner food—"_

" _What about spaghetti?" Steve interjected quickly._

 _The smaller man spun around and stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "What about spaghetti?" Danny asked through clenched teeth._

 _Steve lifted an eyebrow. "Well, technically tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables. So wouldn't that mean that if you're eating spaghetti or lasagna that you're eating a fruit?"_

 _Danny could feel his temperature rising as his temper flared dangerously. Steve always knew which buttons to push with him and he hated it…he really did. "Where did that even come from?" he cried incredulously._

" _We were talking about pineapple on pizza. You said no fruit on dinner foods. I merely brought up tomatoes." A twitch at the edges of his mouth was the only evidence that he was enjoying this sparring session with Danny._

 _The blonde threw his hands up in the air. "I give up. I try and do something nice for you and turn it into the Spanish Inquisition." He stalked out of the kitchen. "Order whatever you want. Hell, order dominos or pizza hut! I don't give a flying—"_

 _The sound of Steve's bellow following him out of the house had been irritating at the time, but oh what Danny wouldn't give to hear that now._

 _He watched Steve as he stared at the chair next to him, almost like he was expecting someone to be sitting there. Danny's eyes flickered up at the clouds moving past in a lazy crawl across the sky and then he started toward his friend._

" _Steve? You okay babe?" Danny didn't know what he'd been expecting. It was certainly not his partner's watery eyes as he turned and acknowledged the detective's presence. The naked pain was more than Danny could handle. He loved this man looking at him. It was as deep as he'd loved Mattie, but it was different. Because he and Steve were equals where Matthew would always be the 'little brother'. They'd been through so much and there was no way that they could spend the kind of time together that they did without love._

 _The entire team was that way. They'd developed into something so strong, something that was cabled together with the bonds of friendship and…love. And seeing someone he loved suffering was a terrible thing for Danny Williams._

 _Steve's eyes pulled away and he cast them back out at the ocean. Danny wasn't sure if that was an invitation to stay or an order to go. So he stood there and kicked at the sand beneath his feet. One thing that he loved about living here was the flip-flop. Back in Jersey he wouldn't have been caught dead in a pair of the rubbery and less than manly summer shoes. But here it was almost a requirement to own them. Plus his loafers looked seriously strange with the cargo shorts he was sporting._

 _He didn't know how long he stood there before Steve spoke. "I miss him." His words were thin and high with emotion, but it was the tremor at the end that nearly broke Danny._

 _The blonde sank into the wooden chair and ran his hand down his face. Stubble pulled at his palm, he should have shaved this morning…he thought silently. He wasn't sure what to say to his friend. The broken nature of Steve's words bounced around inside his skull and Danny simply nodded. He knew what the man was going through. He'd been through it…was still going through it with the loss of Matt. But Steve hadn't left him to dangle above the torrent of emotions alone; he'd been there to give Danny a lifeline. His eyes slid sideways and he blew out a slow long breath. He could do the same for Steve, he could be the line that tethered his friend to the living rather than dwelling with the dead._

" _I know you do." Danny turned so he was looking directly at Steve. "But Steve, you are not alone buddy. I know when this happened five years ago you were…alone. But not now. You got me, Kono, Chin, and Lou. Not to mention Kamekona, Max, Jerry and everyone else you've managed to touch over the years."_

 _Steve lifted glassy eyes and quirked an eyebrow. "Touch? Don't you mean annoy?" He was trying to find his sense of humor and Danny appreciated the effort._

" _No buddy, you only 'annoy' me. The rest of them seem fine with your Cretan ways. But to be fair, they grew up on this rock and probably think it's normal." A small smile pulled at the edges of his lips as he reflected on the differences in the relationships that Steve had built with the entire damn Island of Oahu. "But there isn't a person on this entire string of Islands that wouldn't do anything for you." He said softly. Blue-green eyes shifted and caught the intensity in Danny's blue gaze as Steve listened intently._

" _It was just so real. The whole scenario was so real and plausible." He drifted into silence. Danny waited; he wasn't the most patient person. As a matter a fact his mother had once suggested that he pray for patience when he'd been going in for confession. Danny had adamantly refused. Why would he ever pray for god to give him more things to be irritated about? That seemed like the worst prayer ever._

 _A stuttered breath from the chair next to his told him that Steve had once again lost control of his raw emotions. For a man that hadn't even been able to tell Danny about his childhood, listening to him break apart was like watching a lost puppy try and find his way home. It was heartbreaking._

" _You wore Hawaiian shirts." Steve finally said._

 _Danny's eyebrows shot up. "Well then you know it was a dream. Because I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those." He shuddered internally at even the thought of putting on one of the loud native shirts. While he loved the freedom of the flip-flops, he did not see the point of wearing a shirt with so many patterns that it belonged at a rave where the people were hopped up on acid._

" _And you loved Hawaii. Said it was the best place you'd ever lived." Steve continued without looking away from the ocean as it rolled up on the sandy beach._

" _Okay, now I know you know better than that." Danny stated firmly._

 _Steve finally smiled and turned to look at him. "Yeah, that should have been my first clue. You couldn't be happy here if your life depended on it."_

 _Danny allowed the first real breath of relief to fill his lungs. Steve would be okay. "It's a rock infested with pineapples and shrimp."_

" _I'm going to tell Kamekona you just said that." There was a hint of the old humor there and Danny was grateful for the joke._

" _Don't. If he thinks I don't like shrimp, he'll charge me triple for something I hate."_

 _Steve laughed. He actually laughed at that and then patted Danny on the shoulder sympathetically. "Yes. Yes, he would."_

 _H50 H50_

Steve drifted through the memories as he climbed back to awareness. His body singing in a chorus of sore muscles and pulsing pain. His head hurt and his hand was killing him at this point. He'd listened to the person in his pitch black cell breathe evenly until he finally drifted into restless sleep. But now as he felt himself becoming more aware of his surroundings he wondered just who the hell was in here with him. Were they in the same cell? Or were there several cells in the inky blackness?

He nearly choked on the dry scratchy thing that passed as his voice. "Hello?" Steve coughed several times before managing to control of his throat. "Uh…Hello?" he called again.

A moan answered him and his heart nearly fell through the floor. He would know that voice anywhere. "Danny?"

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Sorry for the delay. More whumpage to come as the team arrives in Colombia and Steve tries to save Danny from a reckless plan that will surely get them both killed. It's a holiday weekend here in the States and I totally took advantage of the extra days off. But here is the newest chapter. Thank you to all of you that read and reviewed the last chapter! You guys are the best!_

 **Please review: Just let me know you're still reading along with this one. Thank you!**


	8. Alone but Together

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 8**

 _Alone but Together_

Danny moaned as his entire body continued to electrify in pain. His leg was burning and his mind was wandering in and out of consciousness. He wasn't sure if the pain was real or if it was something inside a memory that had ramped its way to the surface. There was a fear that was closing in around him that he didn't entirely grasp. The ache licking along his extremities was constant. It ended in a thousand pin pricks that hurt like hell. But it was the confusion and the oppressive guilt that was sending him slowly toward awareness.

What had happened and why was he so scared? The fear didn't seem to be for himself and it wasn't for his children, so what was it? Who was in danger and why did it feel like the end of his world? His head throbbed angrily. Danny struggled to pull his disjointed thoughts together. He pressed his eyelids together and worked to haul his memories from whatever vault they'd fallen into.

A sudden wracking thought had him surging fully into the confines of his broken body. _Steve!_ In a wash of memories, he knew where he was and what had brought him into a terrifying reality. His partner was here, with him…and he didn't know where. The details were fuzzy but the basics were there.

He tried to roll to the side and his leg lit up in pain. "Jesus…" He hissed.

"Danny?" Steve asked from somewhere in his vicinity.

But Danny couldn't see a damn thing. He hoped like hell he wasn't having some sort of reaction to whatever those bastards had dosed him with earlier. But he couldn't be sure. It wasn't like any other drug he'd ever been given. There was a sick knot in the pit of his stomach when he felt the first cold sweat shiver through his muscles. Whatever they'd being giving him, it was still in his system and causing an amplified pain to trip through him.

"Danny, are you okay?" Steve's voice cut through the pitch black.

The detective could hear the fear and there was a thin reedy quality to Steve's voice that meant he was in pain. They'd been partners for too long not to know _that_ sound from one another. "No, not really." Danny answered honestly. "You?"

A scuff along the floor alerted them him to his partner's movement. But Steve would have touched him. And he would have if he could have, which meant that he couldn't. "I've been better." Steve said tightly.

A single light flared to life and Danny's eyelids locked closed reflexively.

"Sorry. This was the only way to keep the guards from killing you." The heavily accented voice cut through the pain and he forced his eyes open. His vision was blurry and the light sliced into his head like a scalpel.

"Solitary confinement? That was your solution to the nazi style guards this place has?" He still hadn't completely focused on the figure standing outside what looked like bars. "Steve was this part of your hair-brained escape plan?"

A groan and then… "Not really, no."

Danny forced his eyes to focus in the low light and he immediately recognized the small man that had given him the blanket. "You?"

Petros frowned. "Si, but I am afraid I was too late to save you, detective."

"What does that mean?" Steve shot back from a cell across a narrow dirt aisle. Danny winced at the state of his partner. Steve's eye was black, his hand was swollen and heavily bruised, and he looked extremely tired. He was pretty sure he didn't look any better and he knew for certain that he felt like shit. How was it possible for him to be both starving and nauseated at the same time?

"Senior detective has been given a poison. A drug that is highly addictive." Petros lowered his dark eyes. "I'm sorry, but if we don't get him another dose…he will die."

"Addiction doesn't work that way." Steve retorted. But if there were even a small chance that Danny could die, then the man's words would have to be taken very seriously.

"This drug does. The cartel was developing to combat the Meth trade in America. It's very bad."

The blonde detective finally chimed in. "Please don't talk about me…like I'm not here. Not dead. Not yet anyway." He said softly. A gut wrenching pain pulsed through him and he groaned without meaning to. He would gladly keep all of his pain from Steve's ears, but this one caught him off guard in its intensity. He folded in and wrapped his arms around his stomach. For a moment Danny forgot about his stab wound. He forgot about his broken ribs and the constant jackhammering inside his head. Everything dimmed as the pain took control.

"Danny? Are you okay?" The pitch of Steve's voice shifted. "Hey buddy, come on…talk to me." He was worried.

Petros watched the interaction between the two cops and he felt his heart go out to them. He'd done everything he could to help them at this point. Anything more and he was taking not only his life into his hands, but that of his family. He was beyond the debt he owed to Joe and he wouldn't risk his children or his wife. His glanced down at the dirt floor and thought about the chill that would soon descend on the two men that would be kept here for the next few days. His eyes shifted from left to right and then finally he stepped back into the shallow entry of the underground cells.

Danny forced his body back under his control. The flecks of light bursting around the edges of his vision reduced down to frosty looking glass. The pain in his stomach eased up and he breathed slowly trying to control what was left of the spasm. He could Steve calling his name frantically, but right now he just trying to remain conscious, he couldn't really answer his distraught partner.

After a moment the spasm passed and the cold sweat running down his face, dripped off his nose and landed with silent 'splat' in the hard dirt. His thoughts fractured and he clawed onto them in an effort to stay coherent. Whatever they'd given him it was still inside his body and wreaking havoc. He'd barely caught what the small native man had been saying. Something about Meth?

Another spasm started in his stomach and he moaned knowing what was coming.

"Danny? Hang on buddy. We're going to get you out of here. You're going to be fine."

H50 H50

Steve folded his arms across his chest and felt the weight of failure settle heavily on his shoulders. He'd had all the best intentions when he'd come up with this plan. But now he finally understood that he didn't have any control here. The control that he'd thought he'd have had only been an illusion. His gaze was locked on the direction he could hear Danny's gasps comings from. His partner had managed to shift himself enough that he must up against the wall now, because Steve could no longer physically see him.

Petros came back around the corner. He was carrying two of the rattiest wool blankets that Steve had ever seen and what looked to be some water and hard bread.

Another groan from Danny alerted Steve of another attack. _Jesus, I'm so sorry buddy._ He thought silently. "What did they give him?"

"It's call 'El dolor del pasado'."

The hairs on the back of Steve's neck stood up. He spoke passible Spanish and he knew that 'dolor' meant pain. Which meant that Danny was in pain and from the sounds of it, it was a lot. "What does it do?" He forced the words past frozen lips and swallowed his own guilt at being unable to protect his friend from this. Was Danny destined to suffer over and over? He'd been through so much and it was killing Steve that he couldn't help him now. "Can you get us into the same cell?" he asked hopefully.

The man handed him a blanket through the rusty iron bars. He shook his head. "I cannot senior." He was sorry about that, Steve could see it in the way his shoulders slumped and his eyes dropped to the ground.

Petros set the water and the loaf of bread down in front of Steve. "You should eat something." His gaze again dropped to Steve's damaged hand. "I can set that for you?"

Another moan from Danny pulled Steve's attention in the direction of the other cell. "Can you get him another dose?"

"I believe I can. But you must set that hand or it will heal wrong."

Steve gulped down his concern for Danny. He knew that this man was right. He wasn't going to be able to help Danny if his own body failed. And he wasn't in the best shape at the moment. His ribs were probably broken and his hand was definitely broken and while he couldn't do anything about the ribs, he could try and deal with his hand.

After a moment, he nodded. Petros inhaled and waited for Steve to put his hand through the bars. "This is going to hurt."

A shiver ran through Steve's entire body. "I know. Just do it."

He blocked out everything but the task at hand. He was able to do that with everything except the sound of Danny's keens…he could never block that out. As a matter of fact he was pretty sure he was going to have several months of sleepless nights where he would hear them magnified inside his head. "Were you a doctor?" he wondered aloud.

Petros managed a small smile. "I used to be." He didn't say anything else, just set about working with the broken bones inside Steve's hand.

The cold feel of the other man's hands on his hot and swollen one had Steve pulling in a slow breath. He nearly blacked out when the first bone slid into place. Agonizing fire raced up his arm and he bit his lower lip to keep the pain in check. Almost in time with his own cry of pain he heard one of equal power from Danny. His insides twisted painfully and he looked at Petros when he got distracted by Danny's cry. Another bone clunked back where it should be.

"I'm almost done. One more bone." Petros reassured as he wrenched the final broken bone into its rightful place.

Sweat rolled down Steve's face as the pain dropped off significantly and he sank to his knees. Petros wrapped his hand in some strips of cotton sheets. "It isn't much. But it's all I could manage."

"It's fine." Steve bit out. His attention was once again on Danny. He'd gone from cries of pain to complete and utter silence and that scared Steve more than the sounds. "Is Danny…"

Petros looked at him and walked to Danny's cell. "He's passed out. I'll try and secure him a small dose and bring it will your morning meal."

"Can't you get it earlier?" Steve pulled his damaged hand against his chest and lifted frantic eyes to the smaller man. "Please…he's suffering." He whispered desperately.

Petros gave a small nod and turned to leave. "I can't leave the light on. They'll realize you're down here."

The idea of being trapped in the dark with an injured Danny that he couldn't help was maybe the worst thing that had ever happened to Steve. But he knew that this man was trying to help them and he couldn't allow those sadistic bastards to get their hands on Danny again. They'd already gotten him addicted to some freaky drug and god knows what they would do in the next five days.

A moment later he was thrust into darkness, only the hitched breathing of his friend in the next cell reminded him that he wasn't alone. Steve blindly reached out for the bread and tried to force himself to eat something. His stomach was growling and sick at the same time. He slid along the floor until his back was up against one of the brick walls. The chill settled into his bones and the fear chipped away at his confidence. The only positive thing that may come out of his getting himself thrown into the prison with Danny was that his best friend wouldn't die alone.

It was painful that that may have to be enough.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Thanks everyone for all the love! Here's the next chapter, we're getting closer to Danny and Steve making it out. But it isn't going to be easy. The team will need to be on point for this one._

 **Please Review: Just let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!**


	9. Brothers

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 9:**

 _Brothers_

"What do you mean you don't know where they are?" Chin asked through clenched teeth. His last nerve was frayed and he was getting angry the less information he was able to get out of the so-called _warden_ of the prison in Colombia. He found his hand swishing through his hair in frustration and couldn't help the thought that this was something that Danny did often. The Jersey detective was constantly smoothing his hair back into some gel infused creation. Normally that would have brought a smile, but today it just made him sick inside. He was worried. And it was getting worse as this _plan_ of McGarrett's continued to fall apart.

The voice over the phone was silent for moment too long. "What do you mean?!" Chin bit out angrily a second time.

"The guards were taking too much interest in the small one…so they were moved. None of my men know where. It was to try and keep them safe." The man's high-pitched voice sounded whiney to Chin and it irritated him to no end. He bit at his lower lip to keep from calling the man something awful. Chin had always prided himself on his large vocabulary. He rarely slipped into vulgarities, but he was about to make an exception.

"It had _better_ keep them safe." His voice lowered to a more threatening tone. "Or there will be hell to pay."

There was a huff from the other end of the line before it went dead and Chin groaned before slamming his phone down on his desk. He really hadn't expected for the rescue to feel this impossible. During the entire span of time that he'd known McGarrett, the man's hair-brained schemes always seemed to work out. And Chin wasn't willing to accept that this might the one time that his friend's luck runs out. Because it wasn't just Steve's life on the line here, it was Danny's too.

His thoughts turned to Malia and what he would have done if he'd been able to get his hands on her killer at the same moment he learned of her death. An anger that dismantled his calm seeped through him and settled like a stone in his gut. He would have killed him. No thought of the consequences or concern for his own safety…Chin would have put a bullet in his head and that would have been that. So he knew exactly where Danny's head had been when he'd pulled that trigger, firing the bullet that ended Reyes…and Chin couldn't blame him for that moment of weakness.

The office was quiet and it took a moment for Chin to realize it was because both their loudmouths were missing. If it wasn't Steve yelling, it was Danny…and now there was just, so much _silence_. He turned toward his window and stared out at the sun-drenched day. It nearly noon and the soft breeze from the ocean had finally rolled inland, pulling at the Banyan trees and the tops of the palm trees. The sound of light footsteps pulled his attention back to his office and he turned to his cousin slipping into his office.

"It's too quiet." Kono complained as she sank into one of the chairs in front of his desk. He turned to look at her more carefully and was surprised by the black smudges under her eyes. Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, which meant that she was taking this harder than he'd initially thought.

"You aren't sleeping." He accused softly. He knew that was the reason because he wasn't sleeping either, so he recognized the signs. And the idea of drinking himself into a stupor had been far too comforting. So he hadn't done it. Chin wanted to be ready for the next step. Their entire team was waiting on Joe and his _plan_.

She shrugged. "Neither are you."

He smiled. "That's true." He made his way to his chair and sank down, letting the muscles relax for the first time since his phone had rang an hour ago. "The warden finally called me back."

Kono sat forward in her chair, expectation written clearly across her face as she waited for him to continue.

"They moved Danny and Steve to solitary confinement." He groaned. "In order to _protect_ them." He added with a growl.

"Protect them? What's happening down there that they need to be protected from?" her heart started to race and she swallowed the bubble of fear lurking in her throat.

Chin's jaw clenched in anger before he answered. "The guards." He ground out.

Her eyebrows shot into her hairline and she frowned. "The guards? So Danny and Steve have to defend themselves from not only the prisoners, but the guards too?"

"It's a bad situation all the way around. The warden has done everything he's willing to do at this point, which means we need to get them out fast." His eyes flickered up when Lou's shadow fell across Kono as he walked into Chin's office. He looked worried and this revelation didn't fill Chin with warm and fuzzies.

"What happened?" he asked before Lou could get a word out.

The captain shook his head and pulled his hand down his face. "Nothing. That's the whole freaking problem. _Nothing_ is happening and it's making me crazy!" One thing about Lou Grover, he wasn't afraid of expressing himself…loudly.

Chin let his gaze wander to Kono, who was nodding in agreement. "So the warden isn't willing to help any more than he already has. And there's very good chance that if we don't get down there, we lose both of them? That about sum it up?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Joe said from the door. None of them had even noticed his approach. It was one of those things that Steve tended to do and it sent a pang of longing through Chin. He missed his friend.

Lou rounded on the military man. "How the hell do we get them out?"

Joe started to speak and Chin cut him off before he could give them the run around. "No, Joe. No more waiting until the _plan_ is set. We want to know how we're getting in there and then we need to get our butts down to Colombia."

"I understand that you are all chomping at the bit to get those boys out." He sighed. "I am too. So here's the deal." Joe reached into his bag and pulled out a set of plans and rolled them across Chin's desk. The schematics were detailed, but there seemed to be conflicting underground structures.

Kono pointed at one of the corridors that shouldn't be there. "What is that?"

"That, I'm afraid, is the problem I've been trying to work out." He grabbed a pencil and traced a line along the tunnel system. "This used to be used for storage for one of the cartel's largest pipelines of heroine. After the Colombian government acted on a tip from American agents, the entire system was paved over and the prison was built on top of the tunnel system."

Lou actually smiled slightly. "So that's our way in." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact. He'd infiltrated enough drug operations over his long career to see an opportunity when one presented itself.

Joe nodded. "Affirmative…" his voice told Chin that there was more to this plan than just running through some old tunnels.

"What else?" he asked, waiting the other shoe to drop.

Kono and Lou's eyes locked on the man that had been Steve's commanding officer. "Well, as I said, these tunnels were _paved_ over. So accessing them is difficult—"

"But not impossible." Kono supplied hopefully.

He thinned his lips. "No. Not impossible."

"Then what's the problem?" Chin pressed. His insides were twisting in rising concern the more this conversation hedged away from a simple answer. The tips of his fingers grazed the smooth top of his desk; he noticed a hole in the perfection that he hadn't noticed before. His eyes dropped quickly before flashing back up to stare at Steve's old commander.

Joe exhaled loudly and bit at his lower lip before he pulled a second map and laid it over the first. " _This_ is the problem." He pointed at a convergence of the two tunnel systems.

Lou leaned over. "I don't see anything."

"The government diverted a water source to supply the prison. These tunnels are unpredictable and some of them are now part of an underground river that isn't mapped."

Chin laughed out of reflex to the new information. It wasn't funny and he didn't think it was _funny_ , but he didn't know how else to handle this. "So the rescue plan is screwed."

"Not necessarily. But it going to be a lot more dangerous than we'd originally expected." Joes answered quickly. His blue gaze shifted from Chin to Lou and finally landed on Kono. "I just want you to be prepared for what we'll run into down there. No one has been in those tunnels in close to forty years and we aren't exactly doing this legally. So no one is coming to help us if we get caught up down there."

The lieutenant shook his head as something else occurred to him. "We have no idea what their conditions are. So how do we get them out if they can't physically get through the tunnels?"

"We don't." Joe replied quickly. "There is no way for us to get them out without going through the tunnels. My inside guy can get them to the mouth of this system." He pointed at one of the larger tunnels. "But that's as far as he goes. After that, it'll be up to us to get Danny and Steve out."

"Oh good, I thought this was going to be easy." Lou said derisively.

H50 H50

Danny swam in and out of the pain, he knew where he was at this point, but he couldn't get a handle on the slicing agony to do more than bite down on the groans trying desperately to escape. The problem was he also _knew_ that Steve was there and that every time his body lit up with fire he could not let it escape through his split lips. He would not put that pain on his partner.

"Danny?" Steve called softly.

The detective heard a shuffling sound that wound its way past his own pain. His partner was moving around.

"I know you're awake…and that you hurt like hell, but I need you to answer me." Hitched breathing echoed through the small cells. "Please."

The blood was pounding inside his head. And it felt as though he was lying on a bed of needles, but he couldn't ignore the plea from his best friend. Even if he'd wanted, which he didn't, Danny had to respond to the pain he heard in that man's voice. From somewhere deep inside his soul he mustered the ability to say something. His words were cracked and the split in his lip broke open filling his mouth with the metallic taste of his own blood. "Still here." He muttered softly.

There was a dry chuckle from the darkness and another shuffle. "Are you okay?" He coughed. "Well, relatively speaking."

Danny inhaled and ignored the pull of his broken rib. "If we're talking relatively…'m here." He wanted to say more. He'd meant to say more, but another wash of agony choked off his words and he hissed in response.

Something that sounded suspiciously like a fist hitting bars resounded through the chamber. "He said he'd be back with more of that shitting drug."

"Guess he changed…his mind." Danny answered in a stilted semblance of words. He swallowed and his throat felt like the Sahara desert. "Can…you just…talk to me?"

"About what?"

Danny coughed and that set off a chorus of winding pain that raced through his entire body. He bit through his lower lip and a fresh wash of iron taste invaded his senses. "Anything…"

"I hate this, Danny. Me over here and you there…alone." Steve's voice broke and then he took a deep breath before launching into his words. "Do you remember when Jenna Kaye tricked me into going to North Korea?" he didn't wait for an answer, because there was no way that his partner had forgotten that any more than he had.

"Mmmmm." Danny groaned out an affirmative and Steve kept talking.

"I had a really hard time with that. With believing that one of the people I trusted could…betray me. That she could put her own needs so far ahead of our friendship that she was willing to sacrifice me. I don't think I ever told you that…I started to pull away." He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. It was hollow, even in his own ears. "With everything that we'd been through at that point, I wasn't sure if I could keep leading Five-0." Another long pause. "But you wouldn't accept that. You kept me grounded and centered. You did that, Danny."

Listening to the deep timbre of Steve's voice soothed the pain that was trying to destroy him from the inside out. "My…f'nd."

"I know that buddy. Truthfully, I've never had a friend like you. Someone that I can trust to be there no matter what. A person that would travel to the ends of the Earth…or at least Afghanistan, to help me." Another hitch in the voice… "I didn't have a brother growing up. Not until I met you."

"H'jkd me…" Danny forced past clenched teeth. His jaw was starting to hurt from the pressure…and that just added the already incredible anguish of his body.

A low chuckle lightened his thoughts. At least Steve could still laugh. _Thank God for small miracles._ He thought silently.

"Yeah, I did do that. But you gotta admit, we're great together. I told you we would be."

"Mmmhmm…"

A shuffled from outside their cells interrupted the bro-moment as the lights flared to life. Danny moaned as it penetrated his eyelids and skewered his brain.

"What the hell do you want?" Steve said menacingly.

Even though he knew he'd pay for it, Danny forced his eyelids apart and waited as the blurry image slowly shifted into focus. One of the guards stood on the other side of the bars staring at him through narrowed eyes. "You're a mess, aren't you detective." His brown eyes shifted to Steve and he moved toward the other cell, a long steel bar tapping into his other open palm. "But you…"

Danny blinked for a moment and then heard the screech of iron as one of the doors was slid open. He didn't know if it was his or Steve's.

He hoped like hell that it was his.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Sorry for the delay between chapters. Things have been a little depressing in the world and that affected my muse…but she's back, so here's a new chapter. Thanks for all the awesome reviews and hang on to your socks…it's about to get rowdy!_

 **Please take a moment and leave a review…it would be much appreciated.**


	10. Skitters

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 10:**

 _Skitters_

The moment he'd questioned whose cell the bastards were entering, he got his answer. Feet shuffled through the dusty floor and quickly he was aware that they were hovering above him.

The feeling of hands twisting into his ruined clothes pulled his wandering thoughts into the present. The neck of his dress shirt cut into his skin as he was yanked upright. Pain flashed to life throughout his entire body and he groaned in response, his knees bashed painfully into the unyielding ground beneath him. It was all so trivial when compared to the knowledge that he wasn't alone in this. He wanted to laugh at that thought, the idea that his life _ending_ would happen in some squalid prison thousands of miles from the home he'd created in _paradise._

His breathing hitched slightly as his leg and broken ribs shifted without his consent. A low moan slipped past partially parted lips before he could clamp down on it.

"What the hell are you doing?! Leave him alone." Steve's manic voice cut through the pain as easily as a hot knife through butter.

A pair of hands slid under his elbows and Danny tried like hell to steady his uncooperative legs. His leg was screaming at him and his ribs were shifting dangerously inside his chest. But it was the fiery pinch of a needle that sent both pain and relief cascading through his system. Injuries he was pretty sure he didn't have attacked him and he unconsciously bit at his lower lip to keep from screaming. It almost felt like a liquid fire traveling along all of the nerves, crashing through the cells, and obliterating his ability to control his own reactions.

Memories that were as unpleasant as the pain attacked his mind and he found himself being dropped into situations that had literally skinned his heart until there was nothing left. The moment he'd learned that Rachel had met someone new and his hopes for reconciliation had been dashed into tiny shards of ice. His brother's death and the shock and immense sense of failure that had nearly overtaken his reason before Steve was able to bring him back to the reality of their situation. It was an overload of negativity and Danny felt himself trying to withdraw from the pain.

One thought kept him fighting like hell to stay present…Steve.

H50 H50

Steve watched in horror as the man shoved a needle into Danny's arm. A trickle of blood slipped down the detectives elbow when the needle was cruelly torn from his skin. But it was the shift in Danny's face that sent real fear washing through the SEAL.

The grimace had been replaced by a silent 'oh' of sheer agony. Danny's knees started to collapse; the men grabbed a set of manacles and 'clicked' them into place before hauling Danny's crumbling body up and attaching the chain to a hook that had previously gone unnoticed.

They stepped back and admired their handiwork and Steve felt the bile twisting through his gut at the scene before him. Danny was now hanging loosely from the wall, his knees had given way and the entirety of his weight was now supported only by those steel manacles. His face was a dirty mess of blood and barely sealed wounds and his leg looked painful where the knife had dug deeply into the large muscle of his thigh. The makeshift bandage was stained in his partner's blood. Danny's head lolled forward and only the deep quiet moan of pain assured Steve that his partner hadn't just been murdered before his eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" Steve breathed out in a stilted whisper. His hands were shaking he was gripping the bars so tight. His right hand throbbed with pain that kept timing with his rapidly beating heart.

The man turned to look at him and then trudged across the narrow dirt aisle. He stopped at Steve's cell and for the first time the Five-0 commander noticed just how big this guy was. He towered over Steve by a good six inches and his shoulders were at least three feet wide. There was nothing friendly in his dark gaze; in fact he had the coldest eyes that the SEAL had ever seen. "Do you feel that this man is like a brother to you?" He had very little accent, which meant that, either he wasn't from South America, or he was educated. Either way? This guy was extremely dangerous and Steve would need to be careful.

"I'm not going to answer that." Steve hissed out.

The large man laughed and shook his head. "You don't have to commander McGarrett. I know the answer." His eyes drifted back to Danny's limp form and they hardened considerably. "I know what it is like to lose a brother." He shifted his attention back to Steve. "I lost my little brother too."

It took a moment for Steve to figure out where he was going with that statement. The only connection this man could have with them, in this place, was Reyes. But both he and Danny had been diligent in learning everything they could about the Cartel king. And nowhere had there been any mention of a brother. A burst of fear lanced his thought bubble. They truly had no idea what this guy wanted or what they were up against, because it was a lot more than just the guards.

"Marco Reyes didn't have any siblings." Steve answered in a shocked whisper. He was jumping to the conclusion of this conversation; at least he thought he was. Dark angry eyes turned back toward him.

"Marco wasn't my brother." He leaned closer, his teeth flashing dangerously in the low lights. "My brother was killed in Hawaii."

Shock wasn't a strong enough word for what Steve felt at that little revelation. One of their cases had followed them here? For what? Revenge… That was the only thing that made sense, but if that was the case, why bring Danny? Had it been him that killed this guy's brother?

"A lot of people die in Hawaii." Steve answered without thinking. Hell, he'd been responsible for his share of deaths on the cases they took…and so had Danny. So which of them had actually _killed_ this man's brother?

He didn't say a word, the man simply turned and walked back to an unconscious Danny and slammed his meaty fist into the blonde's face. A smattering of blood flew sideways and then trickled down his pale face where the skin had split across his prominent cheekbone.

"Leave him the fuck alone!" Steve yelled, his voice was tight with barely suppressed rage. He wanted to kill this man. Not in the cop sense of the word, but in the waterboard him until his drown in his own fear and begged for release. The most primal parts of him roared to the surface and he could barely bite down on the uncontrollable rage.

"You want me to leave him alone?" A sinister smile spread across his face and he nodded once to the man next to Steve.

A fist connected with his kidneys and sent the navy man to his knees. Fire erupted along his lower back and spread quickly along his spine. He was hauled to his uncooperative feet and his hands were yanked behind his back and secured. He didn't know what with, only that he was now helpless to move them. The man leaned into him, his breath like a slap in Steve's face.

"We shall leave him alone."

With that Steve was hauled between two large men from the room, his fear climbing from his gut into his throat as he realized what was happening. They were going to leave Danny hanging in the basement as they did 'God knows what' with him.

"No!" Steve grunted through the pain. "He'll die…"

"That is the plan, commander."

A large door sealed off the view of his suspended partner, thus ripping the one comfort that he'd found since arriving in this hellhole violently from him. For the first time in a very long time, Steve didn't see a way out. Not only had he failed to get Danny out, he'd managed to leave his friend…his partner…his brother…to die alone in some stinking hole in the ground.

A tremor rattled through him and he realized that there would be no one to take care of Grace and Charlie. They would grow up not knowing what happened to their father. A loss unlike anything he'd ever felt knotted inside him and in this one moment of weakness, Steve couldn't find the will to fight.

He was hauled into the cell he'd shared with the Danny the first night and thrown down to the floor in a heap of spastic muscles and sorrow. His breath caught painfully in his chest and it had nothing to do with his injuries. A hate like nothing he'd ever felt before roiled inside him like a trapped pit viper.

"Just think, by this time tomorrow…you'll be in the market for a new partner." The guy just walked away after that.

Steve wondered if that was because he'd gotten what he wanted. Danny had been left to die for the role he'd played in Reyes's murder and Steve would be left to live with that knowledge. At least until the gargantuan man decided to come back and explain what the hell was really going on and who he was. Because try as he might, the commander still wasn't able to place the guy.

A stinging pain bounced around his back then up along his arms and he knew that he needed to get the flexi-cuffs off his wrists before he lost all feeling.

H50 H50

Pain is an interesting thing. It can drain a person of all will to survive or it can create a resolve that is unbreakable. The walls were telling him nothing as he struggled back into the pain…into awareness. Danny had tried to gather his drifting thoughts and tape them together with resolve. To some extent, he'd been successful. While in other ways he'd failed miserably. Once, after having been in a devastating car accident that had required multiple days in the hospital, the detective had felt something similar. Of course he'd also been on heavy doses of morphine at the time.

The pain that continued to plague him was receding to a manageable level, but his mind wouldn't cooperate with him. A pair of soft brown eyes skittered across his mind and he tried to grasp onto those kind eyes. They were young and supportive and he wanted so badly to see them, just for one more second.

A muscle spasm in his shoulders pulled him from those eyes and he crashed back into his reality. His toes were barely touching the ground and his arms were suspended above his head, supporting his not insubstantial weight. It was pitch black and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn't hearing anything else…which meant he wasn't hearing Steve.

He gasped as another wave of pain jenga'd its way up his body. "Steve?" He managed through the hissing cough.

Something moved in the corner, but there was no way it was big enough to be his partner. It was small and there was a distinctive 'clicking' sound as it moved. That was worse than knowing he was alone. _Knowing that he was not alone._

"Steve?!" He called a little louder. The clicking thing hissed and then moved again and Danny wanted nothing more than to hear his obnoxious partner's voice in the darkness.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Short I know, but the team is on the way and what does the enormous man have in store for Steve? Thanks to everyone that read and reviewed, you guys are awesome! More to come…_

 **Please Review: Just say 'hi' or let me know you're all still out there. Thanks!**


	11. Divided we Fall

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Previous Chapter:**

"No!" Steve grunted through the pain. "He'll die…"

"That is the plan, commander."

A large door sealed off the view of his suspended partner, thus ripping the one comfort that he'd found since arriving in this hellhole violently from him. For the first time in a very long time, Steve didn't see a way out. Not only had he failed to get Danny out, he'd managed to leave his friend…his partner…his brother…to die alone in some stinking hole in the ground.

A tremor rattled through him and he realized that there would be no one to take care of Grace and Charlie. They would grow up not knowing what happened to their father. A loss unlike anything he'd ever felt knotted inside him and in this one moment of weakness, Steve couldn't find the will to fight.

He was hauled into the cell he'd shared with the Danny the first night and thrown down to the floor in a heap of spastic muscles and sorrow. His breath caught painfully in his chest and it had nothing to do with his injuries. A hate like nothing he'd ever felt before roiled inside him like a trapped pit viper.

"Just think, by this time tomorrow…you'll be in the market for a new partner." The guy just walked away after that.

Steve wondered if that was because he'd gotten what he wanted. Danny had been left to die for the role he'd played in Reyes's murder and Steve would be left to live with that knowledge. At least until the gargantuan man decided to come back and explain what the hell was really going on and who he was. Because try as he might, the commander still wasn't able to place the guy.

A stinging pain bounced around his back then up along his arms and he knew that he needed to get the flexi-cuffs off his wrists before he lost all feeling.

H50 H50

Pain is an interesting thing. It can drain a person of all will to survive or it can create a resolve that is unbreakable. The walls were telling him nothing as he struggled back into the pain…into awareness. Danny had tried to gather his drifting thoughts and tape them together with resolve. To some extent, he'd been successful. While in other ways he'd failed miserably. Once, after having been in a devastating car accident that had required multiple days in the hospital, the detective had felt something similar. Of course he'd also been on heavy doses of morphine at the time.

The pain that continued to plague him was receding to a manageable level, but his mind wouldn't cooperate with him. A pair of soft brown eyes skittered across his mind and he tried to grasp onto those kind eyes. They were young and supportive and he wanted so badly to see them, just for one more second.

A muscle spasm in his shoulders pulled him from those eyes and he crashed back into his reality. His toes were barely touching the ground and his arms were suspended above his head, supporting his not insubstantial weight. It was pitch black and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn't hearing anything else…which meant he wasn't hearing Steve.

He gasped as another wave of pain jenga'd its way up his body. "Steve?" He managed through the hissing cough.

Something moved in the corner, but there was no way it was big enough to be his partner. It was small and there was a distinctive 'clicking' sound as it moved. That was worse than knowing he was alone. _Knowing that he was not alone._

"Steve?!" He called a little louder. The clicking thing hissed and then moved again and Danny wanted nothing more than to hear his obnoxious partner's voice in the darkness.

End of previous chapter…

 **Chapter 11:**

 _Divided we Fall_

Kono stared out the window at the lush green of the land as it flashed past the train. Her heart was fluttering inside her chest like a new butterfly and she was praying that they would not get detained along the way. They were too close now…the whole team was so close to saving Danny and Steve. And the thought of failure was devastating and not something she could even contemplate.

It had taken longer than planned to get their transport arranged. Joe's contact had only been able to secure their passage at the last moment and without the necessary backup that they'd originally thought they'd have. So they were it. No one was coming to their aide. No one was going to be able to get them out if this whole plan blew up in their faces. Her thoughts shifted to Adam for a moment and Kono had to fight to keep control of her emotions. He was still in jail and there was a good chance that if the team wasn't successful in their rescue attempt, he would never know what happened to her. She swallowed the fear and the doubt simply focused on breathing.

An orange light flared outside her window and Kono found her attention drawn back to the scene outside. A field burned in the distance, the enormous fire was casting off a glow that lit up the night as the train passed unnoticed in the darkness.

"It's a tragic landscape." Chin's voice pulled her out of her musings. He looked as tired as she felt. Dark bruising circles were now a constant fixture beneath his eyes and there was a permanent crease between his eyebrows. He dropped onto the chair across from her and sighed.

Kono managed to nod. "It's actually quite pretty." He raised an eyebrow in response. "Minus the fire, of course. And the fact that our friends are being held here of course."

"Of course." He parroted back as his gaze drifted back to the window.

She followed his eyes and then bit her lip as she searched for the courage to ask the next question. It took a moment to muster her words. "Do you think they're still alive?" she asked slowly.

Her cousin's gaze shifted back to her and he inhaled slowly, interlacing his fingers before he answered. Kono had always been able to trust Chin's gut. Ever since they were younger and he'd asked her not to surf on a particular day. She'd had her heart set on surfing North Shore that day and then her cousin had made his partner drive to her house and he'd begged her not to go out on the water that day.

In the end, she'd agreed and then a squall had blown in unexpectedly. It had decimated the shoreline and broken several fishing vessels. Had she been out on the waves when that rolled in, she would have surely died.

"I don't know." He replied softly. Something in his face darkened and Kono saw something that she hadn't seen since Malia had been murdered. "They better be."

Lou picked that moment to return from the diner car with several to go boxes. "They didn't have much, so I got you guys some sandwiches." He took in the tension inside the cabin car and then set down the boxes. "Everything okay?"

"Just worried. We're so close now and yet we have no idea if this is a rescue or a…recovery." Chin's words hung in the air like a dense fog.

Lou shook his head and set the food down before sinking into the seat across from the cousins. "You can't think like that man." He sighed and leaned forward allowing his elbows to rest on his knees. "Steve and Danny…they're like cats. Those two have at least nine lives a piece."

"And they've probably blown through eight of them." Chin retorted in frustration. The not knowing what they would find on the other end of that tunnel was weighing heavily on the lieutenant.

Kono swallowed the lump that developed in her throat and let her eyes drop closed before finally adding to the conversation. "Cousin, we have to believe they're okay. We can't go into this thinking that it has failed before we even get there…if we do…we've already failed."

H50 H50

The mind is a strange thing. It can be ones best friend or the worst enemy imaginable, replaying memories or dreams that can inspire or destroy. Then there's the body. What magnificent machine of electricity and water. Because that's really all the human body is. Synapses in the brain fire along nerve lines, sending impulses to muscles. But without the water in the system the entire delicate balance that is a human body will fail.

Danny had heard somewhere that the human body can go without food for close to a month, but water? That was a lot more important. 3 days…that's all the time that a person can ignore the needs of those delicate processes before the body starts fighting back. And the detective was pretty sure his body was fighting back. He was starting to hear things and that was sending his already fractured mind down roads he wouldn't normally travel.

When he'd been trapped in that freezer last year, he'd heard Steve's voice. The experience had been almost like the SEAL had been there with him. So did that mean that Danny was crazy now? A slight twitch of his lower lip answered that question. _No_ , detective Danny Williams wasn't looney-tunes. But the moment he heard his best friend's voice again, he knew he was in trouble.

"Danny?"

His lips twitched again. Danny had always been a people person although he didn't particularly _like_ people. He supposed that he was one of those people that had a lot of acquaintances, but not as many people that he would consider _friends_. Take now for instance; he believed that he had exactly four friends. They were his teammates and his friends…but then there was Steve. The irritating man had wiggled his way past the detective's defenses and now Danny couldn't see the big picture of his life without McGarrett in it.

A scratch along the edges of his consciousness pulled him from his wandering thoughts and he groaned as the intensified. He tried to lift his head, muscles strained as the impulses flew along the nerves and his teeth ground together in frustration when the pain was too much. So now he was only able to simply hang there, his toes occasionally drifting across the floor. There was a constant aching pulse in his shoulders and the heat emanating from his leg told him that he was now dealing with possible infection.

The clatter of nails on whatever flooring was beneath him sent a tangle of fear washing though him. It was bad enough that he was hanging in the middle of a prison after having been beaten, stabbed and starved, but now there was something inside the inky blackness of his cell. The claustrophobia that had plagued him since childhood reared up in protest and Danny's insides tightened painfully.

"You're okay, Danno. Just hold on a little bit longer buddy. Can you do that?" The deep rumbling voice that was Steve came from nowhere…and everywhere.

The words were difficult to form around his saliva-starved tongue and Danny finally lifted his head, turning toward the sound skittering closer to him. "I'm trying…" he murmured.

Something touched him. It was tentative at first, like someone poking at something they are loathe to eat. But slowly it gained in confidence and eventually Danny felt the first stinging pain of a bite. A squeak gave Danny's overactive brain the answers it was trying to find through the haze of infection and weakness. _Rats…._

H50 H50

Steve sat secured to a chair in the office of the man that had been torturing Danny since he'd arrived in Colombia. His head had dropped forward onto his chest and the pain of failure was sapping his ability to think straight. Danny was alone. Danny was alone in a small cell in complete darkness. Danny had been starved and beaten. Danny was barely alive…

"So you want to know who I am?" The words were sneered and caused Steve to lift his gaze. The huge figure swam before him and he quickly shut them again to keep from vomiting on the floorboards.

"I want to see my partner." Steve answered honestly. At this point he didn't care who this man was. He needed to be with Danny.

"That isn't going to happen." A slight rustle of fabric told Steve's well-tuned sense that the man was moving. "I should tell you that the rats have found your friend."

It took every ounce of control the navy SEAL had to control the shutter that started in his toes and permeated every part of his body at the mention of _rats_. Steven J. McGarrett wasn't afraid of many things, but the rodents that had brought Europe to its knees during the black plague were one of those things.

"They've started tasting the meal we've left for them."

He said it like they'd taken a 5-star meal and laid it out for the dirty little creatures. But it wasn't some fancy French pastry that they'd left, it was Danny.

Steve ignored the pain and pulled his gaze up to meet that of the man that trying to kill them. He looked. Really looked at the man and a case popped into his head. Roughly a year ago they'd been trying to take down a drug den. Like many of their cases it had gone wrong and there had been bodies. In an effort to save Danny, Steve had shot a man that had been walking in the high perms of the warehouse. He'd fallen and completed Steve's fatal actions.

"The warehouse…" Steve said softly. His hand were clenching and unclenching at his side. _How did I miss this one?_ The case had been open and shut, but the man he'd shot that day had had a brother that was notified of his passing. That wasn't something that Five-0 did, it was always left to the police.

A ghost of pain flickered through the large man's eyes before he set his jaw and leaned against the edge of his desk. "My younger brother." He folded his arms across his massive chest and watched as the commander of the elite Hawaiian team put everything together. "Here in Colombia we believe that to repay a life debt it takes another life of equal value."

Steve's blue eyes snapped up in realization, this man was going to kill Danny. His insides recoiled at the thought of losing detective. "Then take mine. I'm the one that shot your brother, not Danny." He forced through chapped lips and strained vocal cords.

He was pulling against the cuffs that held him securely to the metal chair. Steve couldn't even knock it over in the hopes of breaking something lose because the damn thing was bolted to the floor.

A rumble of laughter in the man's chest told Steve the answer to his offer. "No, I don't think that would not hurt as much as losing your _brother_." His eyes darkened and he leaned toward Steve. "And I would see that you hurt, commander…a lot."

With that comment he rose and exited the room leaving Steve with nothing but his active imagination and the certainty that Danny was in real trouble. A massive part of him prayed that Chin, Lou and Kono would be able to pull off the rescue mission before either he or Danny died.

If this man wanted Steve to _hurt_ , then he had definitely found the right pressure point. Because he and Danny fought like cats and dogs, there was no doubt in Steve's mind that Danny would not _anything_ for him… _hell, he'd probably give me part of his liver if I needed it._ The thought was more painful than the beatings he'd been receiving since arriving in this God forsaken prison.

 _Snap out of it, Steve._ His eyes popped open and he looked around the office. His keen eyes landed on a forgotten paperclip on the desk. He flexed his fingers in want.

"Senior Steve?" The voice of the man that tried to help them, floating from the vicinity of the open door. Petros slowly stepped through the door, his dark eyes widened when they landed on the commander of Five-0. "They will be back any moment."

"Paperclip. On the desk there's a paperclip, if you can just hand it to me?"

Petros eyes shifted nervously to the door again before he nodded quickly. Within seconds Steve was holding his own salvation. He was a alone again, Petros had raced from the office as soon as he'd handed the small piece of metal to Steve. Carefully he bent the paperclip open and set about getting the cuffs off his right hand. His muscles weren't as responsive as they normally were, so it took longer than it should have. Not to mention that he almost dropped the damn thing…twice. But after several tense moments and prayers shot out into the Universe, Steve heard the tiny 'click' that meant he was free.

After quickly removing the other cuff, he nearly groaned in frustration when his legs almost collapsed beneath him. His bare feet were sending angry fire up along his legs and he bit down on his lower lip as he sucked in much needed air through the haze of pain. One thing being in the special operations units in the military had taught him? He _knew_ how to deal with actual pain…emotions were another thing entirely.

He was turning toward the door when a voice stopped him. Outside the office was one of the goons that had beaten Danny. Rage coiled inside his gut. Steve shoved it down; he couldn't afford to get distracted now. He had to save Danny and that meant getting out of this office alive. He hurried to sit back on the chair, loosely setting the cuffs about his chaffed wrists. He heard the voice stop outside the office before finally moving past it without entering.

Beads of sweat rolled down his face as Steve surged to his feet again. He hadn't been conscious when they brought him in, but he had seen the plans to the prison often enough that he had a pretty good idea where he was going. He was going to find Danny.

TBC…

 **Author's note:** _I owe a huge apology to the readers of this story. My real life has dominated all my time, I will however, finish this story by the end of the weekend. There's only one more chapter and the epilogue left. Thank you so much for reading and again, apologies for my very long absence._

 **Please Review: If you feel so inclined…and it would be greatly appreciated.**


	12. The Cell

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Previous Chapter:**

Steve sat secured to a chair in the office of the man that had been torturing Danny since he'd arrived in Colombia. His head had dropped forward onto his chest and the pain of failure was sapping his ability to think straight. Danny was alone. Danny was alone in a small cell in complete darkness. Danny had been starved and beaten. Danny was barely alive…

"So you want to know who I am?" The words were sneered and caused Steve to lift his gaze. The huge figure swam before him and he quickly shut them again to keep from vomiting on the floorboards.

"I want to see my partner." Steve answered honestly. At this point he didn't care who this man was. He needed to be with Danny.

"That isn't going to happen." A slight rustle of fabric told Steve's well-tuned sense that the man was moving. "I should tell you that the rats have found your friend."

It took every ounce of control the navy SEAL had to control the shutter that started in his toes and permeated every part of his body at the mention of _rats_. Steven J. McGarrett wasn't afraid of many things, but the rodents that had brought Europe to its knees during the black plague were one of those things.

"They've started tasting the meal we've left for them."

He said it like they'd taken a 5-star meal and laid it out for the dirty little creatures. But it wasn't some fancy French pastry that they'd left, it was Danny.

Steve ignored the pain and pulled his gaze up to meet that of the man that trying to kill them. He looked. Really looked at the man and a case popped into his head. Roughly a year ago they'd been trying to take down a drug den. Like many of their cases it had gone wrong and there had been bodies. In an effort to save Danny, Steve had shot a man that had been walking in the high perms of the warehouse. He'd fallen and completed Steve's fatal actions.

"The warehouse…" Steve said softly. His hand were clenching and unclenching at his side. _How did I miss this one?_ The case had been open and shut, but the man he'd shot that day had had a brother that was notified of his passing. That wasn't something that Five-0 did, it was always left to the police.

A ghost of pain flickered through the large man's eyes before he set his jaw and leaned against the edge of his desk. "My younger brother." He folded his arms across his massive chest and watched as the commander of the elite Hawaiian team put everything together. "Here in Colombia we believe that to repay a life debt it takes another life of equal value."

Steve's blue eyes snapped up in realization, this man was going to kill Danny. His insides recoiled at the thought of losing detective. "Then take mine. I'm the one that shot your brother, not Danny." He forced through chapped lips and strained vocal cords.

He was pulling against the cuffs that held him securely to the metal chair. Steve couldn't even knock it over in the hopes of breaking something lose because the damn thing was bolted to the floor.

A rumble of laughter in the man's chest told Steve the answer to his offer. "No, I don't think that would not hurt as much as losing your _brother_." His eyes darkened and he leaned toward Steve. "And I would see that you hurt, commander…a lot."

With that comment he rose and exited the room leaving Steve with nothing but his active imagination and the certainty that Danny was in real trouble. A massive part of him prayed that Chin, Lou and Kono would be able to pull off the rescue mission before either he or Danny died.

If this man wanted Steve to _hurt_ , then he had definitely found the right pressure point. Because he and Danny fought like cats and dogs, there was no doubt in Steve's mind that Danny would not _anything_ for him… _hell, he'd probably give me part of his liver if I needed it._ The thought was more painful than the beatings he'd been receiving since arriving in this God forsaken prison.

 _Snap out of it, Steve._ His eyes popped open and he looked around the office. His keen eyes landed on a forgotten paperclip on the desk. He flexed his fingers in want.

"Senior Steve?" The voice of the man that tried to help them, floating from the vicinity of the open door. Petros slowly stepped through the door, his dark eyes widened when they landed on the commander of Five-0. "They will be back any moment."

"Paperclip. On the desk there's a paperclip, if you can just hand it to me?"

Petros eyes shifted nervously to the door again before he nodded quickly. Within seconds Steve was holding his own salvation. He was a alone again, Petros had raced from the office as soon as he'd handed the small piece of metal to Steve. Carefully he bent the paperclip open and set about getting the cuffs off his right hand. His muscles weren't as responsive as they normally were, so it took longer than it should have. Not to mention that he almost dropped the damn thing…twice. But after several tense moments and prayers shot out into the Universe, Steve heard the tiny 'click' that meant he was free.

After quickly removing the other cuff, he nearly groaned in frustration when his legs almost collapsed beneath him. His bare feet were sending angry fire up along his legs and he bit down on his lower lip as he sucked in much needed air through the haze of pain. One thing being in the special operations units in the military had taught him? He _knew_ how to deal with actual pain…emotions were another thing entirely.

He was turning toward the door when a voice stopped him. Outside the office was one of the goons that had beaten Danny. Rage coiled inside his gut. Steve shoved it down; he couldn't afford to get distracted now. He had to save Danny and that meant getting out of this office alive. He hurried to sit back on the chair, loosely setting the cuffs about his chaffed wrists. He heard the voice stop outside the office before finally moving past it without entering.

Beads of sweat rolled down his face as Steve surged to his feet again. He hadn't been conscious when they brought him in, but he had seen the plans to the prison often enough that he had a pretty good idea where he was going. He was going to find Danny.

 **End of previous chapter…**

 **Chapter 12**

 _The Cell_

Steve listened as the man stalked past the doorway, the creak of the floor giving away his progress. The navy-man slowly released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and allowed his body to relax, just a bit. The stress and the emotional turmoil were starting to take their toll on him and his thoughts were not as clear as they should be…and he knew it. None of that boded well for Danny.

It took a moment for Steve to remember to breathe again. The slow in and out of oxygen that would allow him to gather his thoughts more readily, his eyelids dropped closed and he concentrated; the technique something he had learned with the SEALs. He had only been reminded he hadn't been breathing when his body began to scream at him in protest. He heaved in the long needed breath of oxygen and slowly rose from the chair again, ignoring the pain that was now radiating throughout his body.

But he wasn't the only one suffering at this moment. He knew that his partner was in far worse shape. An unwanted and vivid mental image of rats feasting on Danny's broken body almost froze him to that spot. Steve had seen his fair share of dead bodies in various states of decay and from widely different causes. But the image of Danny as one of those _victims_ was painful on a level that sucked…big time.

A tremor skipped along his spine and he shook his head to keep from falling prey to his own imagination. Except it wasn't really his imagination…he _knew_ that there were likely rodents in this god-forsaken place. And he knew that down in the dank dark places of this prison, those plague-carrying animals lurked and Danny was trapped with them, unable to defend himself. As he moved toward the door the smell of sweat and urine assaulted his nose, he ignored it and snuck into the hallway. Every nerve was alight with anticipation of conflict; adrenaline pushing him past a point he may have stopped in the past.

The navy SEAL's vision kept blinking in and out as he scurried along the wall. No sleep could do that a man. It was cold and the walls were breaking apart with the decay of the prison. His bare feet zinged in pain every time he stepped on the unforgiving ground. At the end of the hall was the set of stairs he'd been hoping to find. The light faded as he descended into the belly of the beast.

A single overhead light illuminated the narrow passage. The smell of something that eerily echoed _death_ permeated the atmosphere. Steve swallowed the bile that rose up to greet the overwhelming scent.

H50 H50

The old tunnel system was in a serious state of disrepair. Chin nearly screamed in frustration as they were, once again, slowed by an enormous support beam that had collapsed across their path. It felt like they'd spent more time removing the decaying support beams than actually moving through the tunnel. He grabbed the old wooden timber and between himself and Lou they managed to shift it out of the way. When they left this place they would two, probably, seriously injured men and they wouldn't be able to stop for this kind of stuff. The chances were good that both Steve and Danny would be in no state to help evacuate themselves.

"Joe could've warned us it was going to be like this." Lou grumbled in irritation. The tall black man rolled his shoulders and picked up his large duffel bag before he started moving again.

"He did tell us this tunnel hasn't been used in decades." Kono defended.

Grover shot her a disapproving look and she merely shrugged before grabbing the flashlight and starting forward again. They were moving much slower than they had anticipated and, while none of them were saying it, they were keenly aware that Steve and Danny's time was quickly running out. Also, their exit strategy hinged on them being at the extraction point in exactly five hours, so that could be problematic if they weren't able to navigate this more quickly.

Chin heard mumbling ahead of where they were and held up his fist to stop their progress. One great thing about working together for so long? They never questioned when one of them made a call to stop forward movement. He dropped to one knee and lifted his shotgun. The voices drifted off into silence and slowly he rose to his feet.

Kono quickly to his side and whispered, "Guards?" She hadn't lowered her own rifle, but she was careful to keep the muzzle from straying across her cousin's form.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. But it sounds like there is a way out up ahead." Chin started moving again, his eyes focusing on the pitch-black of the tunnel and the rest of his body tightening like a bowstring ready to fire. They only move another five hundred yards before he again called for a halt. A bend just ahead was a perfect place to set up sentries and he had no intention of walking his team into an ambush. Slowly he moved forward…

The opening came into view a few moments later as he stepped around the blind corner. One low light flickered in the distance and Chin had to step over several large boulders that had collapsed from the deteriorating ceiling.

His dark eyes scanned the distance as far as the light illuminated and he tilted his head to the side when he saw several rusty doors. This almost looked like the solitary confinement in the Halawkea prison. He straightened, his back cracking as he did, and looked over his shoulder at both Lou and Kono before motioning them to follow his lead.

Slowly they made their way through the dirty tunnel that had turned into a dirty hallway. At the far end of the hallway, the light from the small bulb no longer penetrated and it was blindingly dark, which meant that they were down to the infrared and nightsights. Chin scanned the doors carefully as he passed, most of them were welded shut or they had rusted to the point that opening them wasn't really an option any more. Inside he prayed that wouldn't be the case when they found Steve and Danny, because he didn't have welding equipment. There was only so much they could bring with them and even factoring in all the scenarios they were likely to encounter, that hadn't been one of them.

But as he approached the final door, Chin saw a shiny new brass lock securing it. He pointed at it and Kono immediately stepped forward with a bag she'd had slung over her shoulders. She pulled out the large bolt cutters and handed them over silently. Lou set up at the end of the hallway, watching their six as they worked on the door. It was possible that this room contained a body or worse, a psychopath remitted to the South American prison for good cause. But their intel, and Chin's gut, told them they would find one of Five-0 inside.

Chin made quick work of the lock and carefully slid the metal away, setting it quietly on the dirt floor. He looked over at his teammates in turn for a moment; both of them understood that this was it. Whatever was behind this door, and it could be good or bad…or nothing, would dictate their next move.

H50 H50

Steve moved slowly through the tunnel system. He wasn't exactly sure where he was headed, but it seemed to feel correct. When he'd been hauled down here before he'd been unconscious and unable to memorize the route. But that hadn't been the case when they'd taken him back upstairs to that sorry excuse of an office.

He couldn't stop his brain from shifting back to images of Danny and the screams he'd heard. He hadn't been able to see what was happening and that made it so much worse. He partner was in bad shape, of that he had no doubt. But exactly what his condition was? Steve didn't have a clue.

The past year had been devastating for all of them. But it had been the hardest on Danny. He'd suffered and it had all started with Steve. The situation they found themselves in now had very little to do with the accident that had started all of this, but if Danny had been in a better headspace, he may have fought harder to avoid extradition to a country where he knew he'd likely die.

Steve continued to descend deeper into the bowls of the prison, his hands working their way along the wall to keep him informed of his own movements. As he round a corner, he saw lights ahead. He immediately pressed himself against the wall, trying to become as small as he could.

He listened for a moment and then stood up in surprise. _That's Lou's voice._ There was no mistaking the deep rumble of the captain's voice and they had Steve scrambling forward. They were here! His team was here; now they at least stood a chance of saving Danny.

His stealthy movements shifted in a more half-hazard stumble as he rushed forward, forgetting the pain in his own body. He stepped on something and nearly cried out in pain. A warm wet rush told him he'd managed to slice his left foot open on something. _It doesn't matter, keep moving._

Slowly, he closed the distance between himself and his team. Steve knew better than to sneak up them without giving them some sort of warning. Each of the Five-0 members was a well-oiled machine when it came to conflict and the last thing Steve needed to do was get himself shot by them.

"Lou?" he called softly.

The tall man swung in his direction and Steve immediately found himself staring the down the muzzle of a World War II era rifle. As soon as recognition seeped into Grover's eyes he dropped the weapon and rushed forward, slipping his arm around McGarrett's waist. "Steve, God it's good to see you."

"You too, buddy." He lifted his gaze and looked straight into the surprised brown eyes of Kono.

"Jesus, boss…you scared the crap out of us." She hurried forward and slipped under the other arm, helping Steve move closer to the cell door. The lock was lying in pieces on the ground, but Chin hadn't opened it yet. His gaze flitted over to Steve's and he nodded in a silent 'hello', before returning to his task.

The door was heavy and the rust made it difficult to get it open. But eventually, there was a groan of metal as it shifted and slowly swung open, revealing a black cell.

The team took a collective breath, each praying that they would not find the fifth member dead on the other side. Chin grabbed up the flashlight and stepped into the darkness. Several rats skittered away at the flash of light and the lieutenant's breath stuck in his throat at what he saw.

Danny William's was hanging from manacles secured into the ceiling above his blonde head. His body was lax and he wasn't moving. The sheer amount of damage to his small frame was staggering. The dirt that was clinging to nearly every inch of his body made it difficult to tell what was blood and what was muddy earth. But one thing was very clear, he was in critical condition.

"Danny?!" Chin breathed as he lurched into the room and immediately grabbed the detective and tried to take some of the strain from his shoulders. Danny wasn't a big man, but he was compact with muscle and having that all hanging on the two joints had probably cause more damage than could be seen.

Lou shoved his way into the cell and immediately rushed to Chin's side, helping to lift Danny up. He looked over his shoulder at Steve and the stricken expression on the other man's face was something that he hoped he'd never see again. Steve looked _devastated_. Kono helped to situate him against the wall before hurrying forward with the bolt cutters.

Chin quickly snapped the chain and Danny slumped down in a boneless heap of flesh. His head fell back and Steve bit his lip at the damage. Both of Danny's eyes were swollen shut; several long splits had been opened along his forehead and cheeks. Blood was now matted in his; typically, fastidiously clean hair and he'd lost weight. There were other injuries that marred the body of his best friend. But it was the damage to his feet that had Steve hissing a soft 'no'.

Danny's bare feet were a mess of open flesh and wounds that were the result of the small rodents that had skittered from the room at the first sign of light. It was probably good that they had, or Steve would have strangled every one of them with his bare hands.

Chin and Lou carefully lowered Danny to the floor; both of their faces were grim as they check him for signs of life. The detective's chest rose and fell in stilted breaths that at least gave the team hope.

Immediately Kono pulled the portable stretcher from her bag and set about putting it together. Once that was done she pulled a small woolen blanket and Chin and Lou carefully picked up Danny's unconscious form and laid him down. She spread the blanket over his damage body and turned to look at Steve.

The commander of Five-0 was uncharacteristically quiet as he watched his team work. He wasn't in the physical condition to be anything more than a burden, not right now. He hadn't been able to keep Danny from being injured while in prison, but he had managed to set up the rescue plan that would see him set free. And then he was going to go after the dirty CIA agent that talked his partner into surrendering himself.

Chin and Lou carefully lifted the litter and began moving toward the door. Kono hurried to Steve's side and handed him a bandage, which he quickly tied around his injured foot, before she helped him to his feet.

"Let's get you two out of here." She whispered as she pulled his arm over her shoulder and took most of his weight. For such a slight woman, she was incredibly strong.

As they moved back through the tunnels, the team expected to be caught every turn, but they weren't. They moved as a unit; the way only a highly trained team can and quickly made it to the exit.

Their jeep was still hidden in the bushes and Danny's unmoving form was carefully set inside the back. Steve hopped up into the bed of the truck and Chin crawled behind the wheel. No one had said a word since leaving the cell. Danny hadn't even moaned in pain as they'd navigated the old tunnel system. But when they'd burst into the slowly rising light of early morning, they all took a long breath of the fresh air. None of them had expected to make it out…at least if they were really honest with themselves that had been consensus going in.

Chances were high that they would all die down in the tunnels. The creaking and groaning of the old timbers had warned them that they may be buried in the rubble and Danny and Steve would die inside the prison system. But that hadn't happened.

The trip to the extraction point had been uneventful. Kono had placed a saline drip in Danny's arm to try and combat some of the blood loss and the obvious dehydration. His ribs were sticking out at a wrong angle, so Steve knew that his partner had internal damage. Whether or not any of that had resulted in internal bleeding remained to be seen.

The large military craft that was waiting for them was a sight for sore eyes as Chin slowed the old truck to a stop. The medical personnel that had been waiting for their return rushed to meet the returning team. Only then did anyone say anything.

Chin stepped out of the truck and helped to lift Danny's stretcher out of the bed and watched as his friend's body was taken to the back of the plane. He looked up at Steve and saw the weariness written in every line of McGarrett's face as he sat slumped over, his arm wrapped around his ribs, his eyes closed in silent suffering.

"Steve?" he crawled up into the back of the truck and sat next to his team leader and more importantly his friend.

Pained blue eyes lifted to meet the concerned gaze of the older man. "Thank you, Chin." He breathed out softly.

"He's going to be okay."

Steve shook his head and glanced over at plane. "You don't know that."

Chin sighed. "No, but I have to believe that. And so do you." He reached out and clamped his hand on Steve's shoulder in silent support. "Let's go home."

"What about the guy at the prison? The one that has it in for Danny?" Chin didn't know much about it, but he knew that they had made a powerful enemy when Danny had killed Reyes.

Steve's eyes shifted and darkened with stormy purpose. "Let them try and come at him again…we'll kill every one of them." This was the strength and violence of a man that had lived through so many clandestine missions that should have ended in his death; and it was almost scary to witness.

But Chin agreed. They would take on whomever came after one of the Five-0 Ohana and if that meant going outside the law to do it? Well, that had never really been a problem before and it sure as wouldn't be with Danny's life on the line. He nodded at Steve and then his brown eyes shifted to the plane.

Steve straightened and allowed Chin to help him out of the truck bed. "Let's get him home."

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _I owe huge apology to all the readers of this story. I am finished a PhD that has really limited my ability to write, so apologies for that. This story has one chapter and the epilogue left…those should be up later this week. Hopefully you're still out there…please review…_


	13. Blinding Truths

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Previous Chapter:**

Danny William's was hanging from manacles secured into the ceiling above his blonde head. His body was lax and he wasn't moving. The sheer amount of damage to his small frame was staggering. The dirt that was clinging to nearly every inch of his body made it difficult to tell what was blood and what was muddy earth. But one thing was very clear, he was in critical condition.

"Danny?!" Chin breathed as he lurched into the room and immediately grabbed the detective and tried to take some of the strain from his shoulders. Danny wasn't a big man, but he was compact with muscle and having that all hanging on the two joints had probably cause more damage than could be seen.

Lou shoved his way into the cell and immediately rushed to Chin's side, helping to lift Danny up. He looked over his shoulder at Steve and the stricken expression on the other man's face was something that he hoped he'd never see again. Steve looked _devastated_. Kono helped to situate him against the wall before hurrying forward with the bolt cutters.

Chin quickly snapped the chain and Danny slumped down in a boneless heap of flesh. His head fell back and Steve bit his lip at the damage. Both of Danny's eyes were swollen shut; several long splits had been opened along his forehead and cheeks. Blood was now matted in his; typically, fastidiously clean hair and he'd lost weight. There were other injuries that marred the body of his best friend. But it was the damage to his feet that had Steve hissing a soft 'no'.

Danny's bare feet were a mess of open flesh and wounds that were the result of the small rodents that had skittered from the room at the first sign of light. It was probably good that they had, or Steve would have strangled every one of them with his bare hands.

Chin and Lou carefully lowered Danny to the floor; both of their faces were grim as they check him for signs of life. The detective's chest rose and fell in stilted breaths that at least gave the team hope.

Immediately Kono pulled the portable stretcher from her bag and set about putting it together. Once that was done she pulled a small woolen blanket and Chin and Lou carefully picked up Danny's unconscious form and laid him down. She spread the blanket over his damage body and turned to look at Steve.

The commander of Five-0 was uncharacteristically quiet as he watched his team work. He wasn't in the physical condition to be anything more than a burden, not right now. He hadn't been able to keep Danny from being injured while in prison, but he had managed to set up the rescue plan that would see him set free. And then he was going to go after the dirty CIA agent that talked his partner into surrendering himself.

Chin and Lou carefully lifted the litter and began moving toward the door. Kono hurried to Steve's side and handed him a bandage, which he quickly tied around his injured foot, before she helped him to his feet.

"Let's get you two out of here." She whispered as she pulled his arm over her shoulder and took most of his weight. For such a slight woman, she was incredibly strong.

As they moved back through the tunnels, the team expected to be caught every turn, but they weren't. They moved as a unit; the way only a highly trained team can and quickly made it to the exit.

Their jeep was still hidden in the bushes and Danny's unmoving form was carefully set inside the back. Steve hopped up into the bed of the truck and Chin crawled behind the wheel. No one had said a word since leaving the cell. Danny hadn't even moaned in pain as they'd navigated the old tunnel system. But when they'd burst into the slowly rising light of early morning, they all took a long breath of the fresh air. None of them had expected to make it out…at least if they were really honest with themselves that had been consensus going in.

Chances were high that they would all die down in the tunnels. The creaking and groaning of the old timbers had warned them that they may be buried in the rubble and Danny and Steve would die inside the prison system. But that hadn't happened.

The trip to the extraction point had been blessedly uneventful. Kono had placed a saline drip in Danny's arm to try and combat some of the blood loss and the obvious dehydration. His ribs were sticking out at a wrong angle, so Steve knew that his partner had internal damage. Whether or not any of that had resulted in internal bleeding remained to be seen.

The large military craft that was waiting for them was a sight for sore eyes as Chin slowed the old truck to a stop. The medical personnel that had been waiting for their return rushed to meet the returning team. Only then did anyone say anything.

Chin stepped out of the truck and helped to lift Danny's stretcher out of the bed and watched as his friend's body was taken to the back of the plane. He looked up at Steve and saw the weariness written in every line of McGarrett's face as he sat slumped over, his arm wrapped around his ribs, his eyes closed in silent suffering.

"Steve?" he crawled up into the back of the truck and sat next to his team leader and more importantly his friend.

Pained blue eyes lifted to meet the concerned gaze of the older man. "Thank you, Chin." He breathed out softly.

"He's going to be okay."

Steve shook his head and glanced over at plane. "You don't know that."

Chin sighed. "No, but I have to believe that. And so do you." He reached out and clamped his hand on Steve's shoulder in silent support. "Let's go home."

"What about the guy at the prison? The one that has it in for Danny?" Chin didn't know much about it, but he knew that they had made a powerful enemy when Danny had killed Reyes.

Steve's eyes shifted and darkened with stormy purpose. "Let them try and come at him again…we'll kill every one of them." This was the strength and violence of a man that had lived through so many clandestine missions, ones that should have ended in his death; and it was almost scary to witness.

But Chin agreed. They would take on whomever came after one of the Five-0 Ohana and if that meant going outside the law to do it? Well, that had never really been a problem before and it sure as wouldn't be with Danny's life on the line. He nodded at Steve and then his brown eyes shifted to the plane.

Steve straightened and allowed Chin to help him out of the truck bed. "Let's get him home."

E **nd of previous chapter….**

 **Chapter 13**

 _Secrets and Light - Blinding Truths_

The flight back to Hawaii was far too long in Steve's _humble_ opinion. Despite his injuries and his general inability to remain conscious for more than an hour at a time, it felt like it was taking forever. A paramedic had done his best to stabilize Steve's condition and then done what they could to make him a bit more comfortable. His hooded blue eyes slid over toDanny's unconscious form. His throat tightened in response to the deathly still body.

Steve's partner had yet to show any sign of awareness. There had been no twitches of reactive muscles or flickering of beneath his closed eyelids. The damaged man's heart continued to beat in a fluttery attempt at keeping him on this side of a gravestone. The fact that his body struggled to keep alive was hardly surprising given how stubborn the Jersey native was, but the SEAL found himself wanting more than just a frantically beating heart.

Pained eyes lifted to the top of the massive military aircraft briefly before a shallow breath shuddered through the leader of the task force. Time passed in a weird kind of vortex inside the belly of a C-17, light didn't penetrate down here; only the whine of the powerful engines alerted him to their relative position. Far too many trips as a Navy SEAL had taught him to track his relative position throughout a mission. The longer whines meant they were climbing higher into the stratosphere, while short whines meant they were descending. It was a constant balance, the rise and fall of permissible airspace.

Steve's gaze dropped to his elevated leg, making him frown. The white of the bandages seemed to glow in the relative low light of the plane. He'd remained silent as the medic had cleaned the deep lacerations. But Steve knew that he needed stitches and it probably needed to have the damaged rotten flesh denuded by a professional. On the whole, he counted himself very lucky that he'd gotten off as lightly as he had. The thought sent guilt driving through him, without his consent his eyes lifted and then lingered on Danny's silent form; his heart clenched painfully.

Danny was strapped onto the stationary gurney, his broken body covered in a mess of bandages that only served to highlight just how badly he'd suffered. Several intravenous medications hung from a pole just above his head. Each bag had a trail of tubes that were feeding into the needle currently secured inside his left elbow.

Steve pulled in a hitched breath, forcing his gaze away.

"Steve?"

Kono's soft whisper diverted his attention. He heard her shuffling from her seat and settling next to his own gurney. She reached out and gently twined their fingers, a silent reminder of their shared concerns. The youngest member of the team stayed quiet, waiting for him to start the conversation.

As it turned out she was waiting for a very long time. Steve didn't know what to say. This entire thing was his fault. He'd been the one to set this tragic story in motion and he now he felt like he was drowning. He wished with his entire being that he could take back the argument that had set Danny down this path.

"My fault…"

The words were so soft that Kono nearly didn't catch them. _Nearly._ Her warm brown eyes turned on him and she leaned forward. "No. It's not."

Slowly, he lifted his head toward her; the devastation and self-loathing in his stormy blue gaze was crushing. "We both know it is." He gestured weakly at Danny's silent body. " _This_ is."

Kono pulled in a steadying breath, "Steve. Danny would not want you beating yourself up like this. We all knew what he was is capable of when his _family_ is involved." She squeezed his hand. "I don't know why he let them take him. But _he_ did that. Not you. This isn't—"

"He felt guilty." Steve interrupted in a strained caricature of his normally rich tone. "And I knew it." His gaze dropped to his limp hands and he shook his head. "I knew he was struggling when I pushed him-" his voice cracked and he swallowed thickly before continuing. "Last year...the fight...I knew _everything_ and I still pushed him..."

She tilted her head, asking him a silent question. From the relative darkness of the plane, two sets of feet approached them. Chin stepped up to Danny's bed, his gaze resting on his friend for a moment before he folded his arms and turned toward his cousin and the man that he had chosen to follow into the mouth of hell.

Steve met his gaze evenly before he blinked several times and lowered his eyes, staring at his hand a lost expression on his battered face. Another set of steps told him that Lou had joined this impromptu team meeting.

The normally stoic navy SEAL shivered before swallowing thickly, "He _let_ Matthew go."

Kono shifted uncomfortably on the hard metal seat. Or was it the direction this conversation was headed…she wasn't sure. "I don't understand. Who? His brother? What does that have—"

The confession started slowly, halting catches dragging the words away in emotion. Within a few uttered syllables, Steve revealed the _whole_ truth to his team. "Danny _let_ Matt get on that plane. He was there. He could have stopped him. He knew that the FBI wanted him detained, but Danny couldn't do it, so he let him leave…" He looked away, no longer able to stare into her forgiving gaze. "And I was frustrated with him. The constant bickering between us bothered me, so I kept pushing him to talk to someone...he refused. Then we got called that tip, the one that sent us into the forest that day and the rest you know."

The words seemed to swell and catch in his throat as emotions crashed through him in wave upon wave of painful memories. No one spoke. He wondered if it was because they were afraid that if they did, he'd lose his nerve? All this time he and Danny had kept that secret. Five-0 knew that Reyes had killed Matt, but they hadn't known that the Jersey detective had let him leave. That had been something that only he and Danny had known. Neither had they known that Steve had purposely picked that fight. He'd spent the last year trying to come to terms with his involvement in Danny's current predicament...he still hadn't managed it.

But secrets have a way of finding their way into the light and this one was no different, so he continued.

"Danny was at the airport when Matt got there. He made the choice to let his brother go. He had no idea of the events that would set in motion…not really, not until we saw that fifty-gallon steel drum…" his resolve finally wavered when the awful memories of Danny's face flickered through his mind. It had been the realization that they would not be taking his best friend's baby brother home with them that had slammed into Steve. He had been forced to bear witness as understanding blew apart Danny's world; watched as the blonde's face morphed from shock and devastation to shattered loss, all before finally settling into inconsolable an rage.

It was Lou who finally broke the stalemate of silence, "He felt guilty." He supplied as he shifted uncomfortably. "That's why he didn't fight the extradition." It wasn't a question. "Damn fool felt _guilty_." Lou's eyes drifted from face to face, watching the myriad of reactions from the team. The one thing that he never saw was _blame_.

Four sets of eyes turned toward the silent figure lying motionless across from them. Their second in command had done something similar for each and every one of them at different points during their time on the task force. Danny's faith in them and who they _really_ were, never wavered. He had hidden Steve when he'd been accused of killing the governor. He had helped Chin when everyone believed he was guilty of stealing funds and for aiding and abetting his murdered wife's brother, Gabriel. There had been the whole long scenario with Adam, Kono and the yakuza. And then there was Lou, when a crazy hacker-kid had held his daughter hostage demanding a ridiculous sum of money. Lou had tried to steal the ransom from a stash house transfer, the money that he'd needed to save her. Danny had stood by him.

But it didn't stop there. Danny had flown to North Korea when he'd realized that Steve had been led into a trap and then he'd felt guilty when they couldn't save Kay too. And what about Afghanistan? The New Jersey detective had demanded that the United States _Navy_ send in an extraction team, thus saving Steve's life…again.

All these things had forged them into a team. _No, not just a team…family._ Danny Williams was firmly at the center of everything…he was their heart.

The sudden whine of a _heart_ flat lining ripped the team out of their impromptu meeting. Steve didn't even remember moving, but suddenly he found himself at the dying detective's side. The medic moved with a deft efficiency that stole the SEAL's ability to physically touch his friend.

He gulped back the torrent of emotions that washed over him in crippling waves of guilty pain. They had gone through too much, risked too much, hell...everything to save him; Danny couldn't die now… _he had to live!_

The rest of the Five-0 team, their Ohana, surrounded the gurney in a silent vigil, offering whatever strength, whatever _energy;_ they had left to the dying man.

"You have to fight, Danny." Steve's whispered plea was lost as the medic cleared everyone before sending 300 joules coursing through Danny.

H50 H50

 _Danny stared out at the ocean, his hands resting in his lap and his toes dug into the soft sand at his feet. The gentle crashing waves were weaving a tapestry of calming indifference through him; the setting sun cast a soft pale light over the peaceful beach. Seagulls circled lazily on the warm currents of the evening air. It was perfect…_

 _And yet, it wasn't. Because for all it's beauty, this lovely little scenario was missing something very important; Steve McGarrett. He sighed heavily before leaning forward when an ache of loneliness sliced through him._

 _Danny found his thoughts drifting over the last months. He'd felt his friend pulling away and it had taken the detective almost losing his life to bring his stubborn partner around. And then everything had changed again, Reyes…and Matt's murder. Just the thought of his brother's tall frame having been forced inside that rusty drum made his vision blur at the edges and his hands trembled with suppressed emotion._

 _Even inside this beautifully constructed dream world, Danny knew that whatever he'd suffered in the real world had erased the sharpest edges of his guilt. While nothing about his trip to the Columbian prison had been pleasant, at least he now felt like he'd been punished for his rash actions. …perhaps he could even move forward now?_

 _A gentle breeze picked at his hair and he dug his toes deeper into the warm sand, allowing his eyelids to fall shut. The sun had nearly disappeared beneath the expansive waves of the ocean when he jerked awake._

 _Danny didn't know what had dragged him from his restful nap, but the dark clouds gathering in the distance told him something had shifted. With great effort, he forced his tired body up onto trembling legs. A wave of dizziness descended like fog and he found himself leaning against the wooden beach chair for support._

" _Danny?"_

 _At the sound of his name, he lifted himself up, forcing his body to stand straight. Just inside the tree line stood a figure. The blonde inhaled sharply as memory combined with want and the tall figure stepped out of the shadows._

" _Matty?" he choked out, his knees collapsing beneath him, sending him crashing to the cooling sand. A crack of thunder rolled in the distance followed by an impressive bolt of lightening. Danny felt the pressure sting just behind his eyes as his baby brother stumbled forward dropping down in front of him, his fingers reaching, but not quite touching, his older brother._

 _A hollow, broken sob erupted from somewhere deep inside just as the storm reached across the fathoms of water, soaking the two men._

 _Danny could feel his head spinning and flashes at the edges of his vision warned of something else…_

" _You have to fight, Danny."_

 _Matt's words seemed to be floating down a long hallway, echoing inside Danny's head before fading into the roaring inside his head. Slowly, his agonized blue gaze lifted to meet the worried brown of his little brother. Movement just above Matt's left shoulder caused the detective's gaze to flicker up momentarily. Running toward them, waiving his arms frantically was Steve._

 _His mouth was moving and he seemed to be screaming some sort of warning, but Danny's eyes unfocused too quickly for him to make it out. A small part of him wondered why it was taking Steve so long to cross the short distance from his backdoor to the beach just behind his family home._

" _Danny?!" Matthew's eyes bulged when Danny tipped forward like a puppet that had had its strings cut._

 _Everything seemed to tunnel and fade. A cold wash of nothingness settled over the places that had recently been warm and inviting. He had a strange 'falling' sensation before he found himself suddenly supported, not by his brother, but by the trembling form of his best friend._

 _Lightening flared just before Danny felt a burning fire electrify every nerve in agonizing pain._

 **Author's Note** : _I am officially apologizing for the cliffhanger here…but I got a 'gentle push' to update this story. So here it is. I will post the next chapter no later than next Saturday._

 **If you have a moment, please leave a review**? And thank you for sticking with me despite the ridiculously long periods between chapters.


	14. Awakenings and Emotional Maturity

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Previous Chapter: Steve's POV**

"He felt guilty." Steve interrupted in a strained caricature of his normally rich tone. "And I knew it." His gaze dropped to his limp hands and he shook his head. "I knew he was struggling when I pushed him-" his voice cracked and he swallowed thickly before continuing. "Last year...the fight...I knew _everything_ and I still pushed him..."

She tilted her head, asking him a silent question. From the relative darkness of the plane, two sets of feet approached them. Chin stepped up to Danny's bed, his gaze resting on his friend for a moment before he folded his arms and turned toward his cousin and the man that he had chosen to follow into the mouth of hell.

Steve met his gaze evenly before he blinked several times and lowered his eyes, staring at his hand a lost expression on his battered face. Another set of steps told him that Lou had joined this impromptu team meeting.

The normally stoic navy SEAL shivered before swallowing thickly, "He _let_ Matthew go."

Kono shifted uncomfortably on the hard metal seat. Or was it the direction this conversation was headed…she wasn't sure. "I don't understand. Who? His brother? What does that have—"

The confession started slowly, halting catches dragging the words away in emotion. Within a few uttered syllables, Steve revealed the _whole_ truth to his team. "Danny _let_ Matt get on that plane. He was there. He could have stopped him. He knew that the FBI wanted him detained, but Danny couldn't do it, so he let him leave…" He looked away, no longer able to stare into her forgiving gaze. "And I was frustrated with him. The constant bickering between us bothered me, so I kept pushing him to talk to someone...he refused. Then we got called that tip, the one that sent us into the forest that day and the rest you know."

The words seemed to swell and catch in his throat as emotions crashed through him in wave upon wave of painful memories. No one spoke. He wondered if it was because they were afraid that if they did, he'd lose his nerve? All this time he and Danny had kept that secret. Five-0 knew that Reyes had killed Matt, but they hadn't known that the Jersey detective had let him leave. That had been something that only he and Danny had known. Neither had they known that Steve had purposely picked that fight. He'd spent the last year trying to come to terms with his involvement in Danny's current predicament...he still hadn't managed it.

But secrets have a way of finding their way into the light and this one was no different, so he continued.

"Danny was at the airport when Matt got there. He made the choice to let his brother go. He had no idea of the events that would set in motion…not really, not until we saw that fifty-gallon steel drum…" his resolve finally wavered when the awful memories of Danny's face flickered through his mind. It had been the realization that they would not be taking his best friend's baby brother home with them that had slammed into Steve. He had been forced to bear witness as understanding blew apart Danny's world; watched as the blonde's face morphed from shock and devastation to shattered loss, all before finally settling into inconsolable an rage.

It was Lou who finally broke the stalemate of silence, "He felt guilty." He supplied as he shifted uncomfortably. "That's why he didn't fight the extradition." It wasn't a question. "Damn fool felt _guilty_." Lou's eyes drifted from face to face, watching the myriad of reactions from the team. The one thing that he never saw was _blame_.

Four sets of eyes turned toward the silent figure lying motionless across from them. Their second in command had done something similar for each and every one of them at different points during their time on the task force. Danny's faith in them and who they _really_ were, never wavered. He had hidden Steve when he'd been accused of killing the governor. He had helped Chin when everyone believed he was guilty of stealing funds and for aiding and abetting his murdered wife's brother, Gabriel. There had been the whole long scenario with Adam, Kono and the yakuza. And then there was Lou, when a crazy hacker-kid had held his daughter hostage demanding a ridiculous sum of money. Lou had tried to steal the ransom from a stash house transfer, the money that he'd needed to save her. Danny had stood by him.

But it didn't stop there. Danny had flown to North Korea when he'd realized that Steve had been led into a trap and then he'd felt guilty when they couldn't save Kay too. And what about Afghanistan? The New Jersey detective had demanded that the United States _Navy_ send in an extraction team, thus saving Steve's life…again.

All these things had forged them into a team. _No, not just a team…family._ Danny Williams was firmly at the center of everything…he was their heart.

The sudden whine of a _heart_ flat lining ripped the team out of their impromptu meeting. Steve didn't even remember moving, but suddenly he found himself at the dying detective's side. The medic moved with a deft efficiency that stole the SEAL's ability to physically touch his friend.

He gulped back the torrent of emotions that washed over him in crippling waves of guilty pain. They had gone through too much, risked too much, hell...everything to save him; Danny couldn't die now… _he had to live!_

The rest of the Five-0 team, their Ohana, surrounded the gurney in a silent vigil, offering whatever strength, whatever _energy;_ they had left to the dying man.

"You have to fight, Danny." Steve's whispered plea was lost as the medic cleared everyone before sending 300 joules coursing through Danny.

E **nd of previous chapter….**

 **Chapter 14**

 _Awakenings and Emotional Maturity_

Staring up at the mottled white ceiling of his hospital room, Steve found that he could neither find peace nor rest in the medication slowly dripping into his IV bag, medication that should have him unconscious. He knew he was fighting the effects of the medication. He also understood that he shouldn't, but he couldn't seem to stop his mind from whirling along the multi-divergent paths inside his head. He drifted back to the last terrifying hours before the transport set down on the tarmac in Oahu.

The medics had only barely managed to keep Danny on the upside of an early grave. The entire episode had been terrifying, watching his partner's beaten and broken body writhe on the narrow gurney as 300 joules of electricity jolted through him. The way his swollen fingers had tried desperately to curl in on themselves in a physical manifestation of the pain...the artery in his neck strained with the intense agony when the life-saving AED had been applied, and used.

A sharp ache suddenly bit into his breathing, causing him to struggle for a moment with the inflated anguish of his own emotions. He was a lot of things…good with emotions? Well, that just wasn't one of them. Upon reflection he was fairly certain Danny had accused him of that on more than one occasion. _Too painful, think of something else._

It had taken hours for the medic's to stabilize Danny's condition and that only held until they'd landed when the smaller man had again ceased to breathe. Steve pulled a hand down his face as though he could _wipe_ those traumatizing sights from his memory, he couldn't. A sadistic part of him admitted that this had been a lot like hearing his father's murder from thousands of miles away. _Over a phone._ In all the intervening years since that horrific day, he'd never been able to forget the way his father had sounded in his last moments. _Or the sound of the bullet that killed him._

His eyes shifted to the window, Kono had left the slatted blinds slightly open to let in some of the cool Hawaiian air. The sounds of raindrops and the beeping of his heart rate monitor were the only things the injured SEAL could hear.

He'd been placed on the seventh floor, which was generally reserved for dignitaries or people that could afford to pay for the silence and premium care. And yet at this moment, Steve would give _anything_ for the shrieking chaos that was _Danny Williams_.

A lump forming in his throat had him repositioning his head and swallowing several times to try and clear the gathering knot of unexplored angst. He tried to turn his thoughts to something less hurtful instead, focusing on the faintly medicinal smell that was mixing strangely with the floral aroma of Hawaiian life lazily wafting through the open window.

Growing up on the Islands, Steve had loved everything about them. He'd spent time on several of the other Islands, but Oahu remained his favorite. Maybe that was because he'd had a relatively good childhood, apart from his mother's death and his sister's pension for trouble. Yes, there had been things he hadn't liked, but if he was pressed into answering, he had never wanted to live anywhere else.

However, had he been given the choice, he never would have returned under the circumstances that he did.

But he couldn't deny that his life here had a lot of meaning. A mission that he could never have foreseen. _And then there's my team._ A smile tugs at the corner of his lips and he has another _swallowing_ episode.

Without meaning to, Steve had surrounded himself with a new _family_. It had been a new _team_ sure, but this one managed to fill the gaping hole that leaving the Navy created. He was well aware of the McGarrett family's long tradition of military service and he'd proud to carry that tradition on for another generation. Thinking back on it, he was pretty certain that he'd never intended to actually leave the service until they force-retired him to. His life would have been so different if his father hadn't died.

 _I never would have met Kono or Lou._ He'd already known Chin through his father, but he doubted he would have reconnected with the snarky older man. And _I never would have met a loud mouthed, angry little detective from Jersey._ He ignored the ranting voice inside his head, one that sounded suspiciously like Danny, that had a retort for that.

' _I'd rather be short than stuck with a Neanderthal's brain.'_ The twinge of pain that pierced his heart increased exponentially at the thought of Danny's _would be_ response. It almost felt like fire racing along his nerves, catching and then inflaming every part of him, and none of this _pain_ could be touched by modern medicine.

A light knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts, he glanced over as it slowly creaked open, Chin's face poking through. He smiled when he saw Steve sitting up and looking at him expectantly.

"You should be sleeping." Chin admonished softly, concern written in every line of his exhausted face.

Steve managed a slight shrug, "So should you."

His friend simply shook his head, sighing before he sank down into the comfortable looking recline near the window. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I've spent time in a Columbian prison." The joke fell flat when neither of them managed to even crack a smile.

The younger man pressed his lips together before trying again, "Any news?"

A shadow passed over Chin's face before he quickly schooled his expression into one that revealed nothing. That sent a spike of fear slicing through Steve, freezing anything he might've said.

Several minutes passed before Chin determined the best way to answer his friend. "He's out of surgery. Still critical. He's got broken ribs, both shoulders are a mess and he's dehydrated, and malnourished. They removed the dead flesh from his feet and are treating him for a systemic infection." He took another moment to still the quaver that had seeped into his voice. "The stab wound…they don't know if they can save the leg. It's bad, Steve."

Every word was like a flaming lance, tearing through Steve at blinding speeds and ripping his _hope_ apart. For a moment his response remained trapped and he gaped, open-mouthed, at Chin.

He assumed that the elder man must have understood the unspoken question that was nearly choking him, because Chin quickly added, "He has a chance now, Steve. One that he didn't have twelve hours ago." He reached out and padded Steve's bandaged arm. "Focus on that."

The emotions defied him again and the unmistakable sting of tears burned behind his blue eyes; either the medication or his current state of exhaustion were conspiring against him. And the dam, confining his emotions, shattered; releasing everything that he'd been holding back in one messy torrent of pain. It _all_ flooded to the surface. It was simply too much for his fragile state of mind.

Ignoring his injuries, Steve curled in on himself as the guilt and the fear nearly drown him.

 _H50 H50_

Chin watched as one of the strongest men he'd ever known literally _shattered_ in front of him. He knew that if it hadn't been for Steve's injuries and his lack of sleep, that he never would have allowed the breakdown. Or at the very least Steve would have ensured that he didn't have an audience when it happened. But that wasn't what happened, instead it was witnessed by an old family friend. Chin was grateful that he was in the room at that moment, because it allowed him to offer his support and it let Steve work through the staggering amount of repressed pain.

Steve wasn't in this alone, he never was. _And you never will be_. Chin silently promised his friend.

Carefully, so as not to startle the heavily medicated _SEAL_ , Chin shifted from the chair to the edge of the small single bed. He was well aware of all the wires connecting the commander of the task force to medical equipment as he reached out to gather the broken man into a hug. When he'd reconnected with Steve, Chin hadn't been able to offer much. Each man had been dealing with their own tragedies at the time.

They weren't close, initially just acquaintances, though they'd both loved Steve's father, John. Over the intervening years that had changed, now? Chin considered Steve one of his closest friends. _No, it's more than that…he's my brother in everything but blood._ He admitted with a warm burst of emotion for the man currently soaking the sleeve of his shift.

Neither of them said anything as the weight of the past several weeks, years even, poured out of the normally emotionless man. Chin had no idea how much time passed, but slowly the violently shaking shoulders stilled and Steve's breathing evened out as he slipped into an exhausted sleep.

"About time." Chin whispered, slipping from the bed and carefully positioning Steve so he would rest comfortably.

His dark gaze shifted toward the window, the sun had completely dropped away revealing that it was _new moon_ tonight. Shaking his head at the irony, Chin turned away, making his way to the door. He stepped quietly into the mostly deserted hallway, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the difference in the light. As he considered the new moon, _I suppose it's apt, given the circumstances. We're all heading into unmarked territory._

The immediate presence of his cousin startled him, "He's sleeping."

Kono's eyes flickered to the closed door; pulling her lower lip between her teeth as she debated on going in anyway.

He hugged her lightly, then pulled away to look directly in her warm brown eyes. "It's better this way, trust me."

"I know. How long?" She moved to lean against the opposite wall, sinking down before resting her elbows on her knees and rubbing at her own tired eyes.

He watched the flurry of warring emotions challenge his cousin's iron-willed control; finally he too sank down, bumping her arm with his shoulder. "They're both here. Getting the medical care they need. Have some faith, Kono."

"I'm trying." She nearly sobbed before falling silent when her voice shook too much to continue.

Several minutes later he asked, "Any update on Danny?"

Shaking her head and taking a deep breath to ensure that her emotions were once again firmly under her control she said, "No. He's in a medically induced coma. They want to give his body time to heal without any interference from Danny."

Chin had known about the _induced-_ coma before he went in to see Steve; he'd chosen to keep quiet about that. There would be time enough to explain to their friend why the doctor's had felt that was necessary. _If we're lucky, Steve will sleep through most of it._ The thought occurred to him without prompting causing him to blow out a long slow breath. _Since when have we ever been that lucky?_

He realized that Kono was waiting for him say something more, "That actually makes a lot of sense." Changing the subject, "Have you talked to Rachel or Grace?"

Heavy guilt clouded her normally bright eyes and she shook her head. "No. I didn't want to say anything until we know for sure if…" Kono couldn't finish that sentence. ... _he's going to make it._ He knew exactly what she meant.

Chin hadn't called Danny's ex-wife or young daughter either, and for the exact same reason. "I just want this to be over." He admitted quietly, his fingers dropping to his jeans, picking at the seam aimlessly. "I'm so tired of watching my friends suffer." He reveals and Chin's eyes flicker up to the closed door momentarily before dropping back to the white tiled floor.

Kono took a stilted breath, "Me too." Her hands move to grasp his in a show of support and strength.

She finally manages to get her emotions back under control before slowly rising to her feet, holding out her hand for his. "We should go check on Danny."

With a wooden nod Chin takes her hand and lets his younger cousin haul him to his feet. "Yeah." The single word carries all the vulnerability he would normally try to hide, but he's just too exhausted to care at the moment.

H50 H50

 _Two days, seven hours and fourteen minutes…later_

Steve had finally convinced the staff that it was better for Danny's _recovery_ if they shared the same room. It had taken hours of arguing, convincing, accusing and finally, pleading before the doctor had reluctantly agreed. In the end Steve was pretty sure the guy did it just to shut _him_ up. They'd managed to get the infection _mostly_ under control and there was less of a chance that his partner would wake up minus a leg. That small victory was worth a celebration all on it's own. Which was fine. Parties were good, in Steve's opinion.

Steve didn't really care about anything beyond being in the room when his stubborn-ass partner finally decides he's had enough lazing about and re-enters the land of the living.

The concessions to share a room with Danny were mainly on Steve's part. He'd had to move out of his nice quiet, private room, and onto the ICU floor. Which meant that he was now being woken up every twenty minutes as the never ending line of nurses bustled in and out doing rounds.

A nasty little part of him wondered if they got their kicks out of waking up injured people every twenty minutes just to ask if they were _sleeping okay_? How stupid is that? He'd bitten his tongue on several occasions rather than respond with his smart-ass comment of, _'I was sleeping just fine until you woke me up to see how I was sleeping.'_

Instead he kept his silent vigil over Danny and endured. That was something that he was extremely good at, enduring. The Five-O Ohana had been extremely frustrated by his move to ICU. Oh not because they thought it wasn't a good idea, but because it meant that many of them couldn't visit either one of them now. Not until he and Danny were moved back the general care floor. There were a few exceptions to this rule, his sister Mary had come to see him, tears streaming down her face as she'd taken in the bruises that littered his body.

She'd asked about Danny's condition and whether or not there was anything she could do. He'd been quick to assure her that they were both being well taken care of. Steve really didn't want her taking time away from her daughter or her job just to sit bone-idle in the hospital; and then try to keep him company. If he was really, _ridiculously_ honest with himself, part of his issue was that he could only take his sister in small _doses_. And that was when he was feeling good, at the moment, he felt anything but _good_.

Mary's eyes had welled up again when her gaze drifted toward Danny's silent and very still body. The leads and wires made him look like some kind of science experiment. It was upsetting for her, even Steve could see that. The Jersey native had still been on the ventilator when she'd visited and there was nothing Steve could do to erase the fear in her eyes.

That had been a little over a day ago.

Steve was currently stuck staring at the tiny excuse for a television that the hospital had rolled into the far corner. While he was grateful for the distraction, it had been frustrating to learn that the remote didn't work so he was stuck with the existing channel and program, unless he chose to bother the nurses and _sweetly_ ask them to change the channel for him?

Initially he hadn't been above that, but they quickly tired of his constant 'buzzing' and now they narrow their eyes slightly when he presses the 'call button'. So he for the moment he was stuck with… _What the hell am I watching?_

The theme song gave it away and he nearly groaned, _Chips_. He pulled the pillow from behind his head and crushed it over his eyes and ears in an attempt to drown out the rerun. Old cop shows were Danny's thing not his. And watching them while his own partner was barely clinging to life less than five feet away was more than Steve could take at the moment.

"S'not that bad."

Without thinking about it, he fired back, "It is. It _really_ is." before freezing and replaying what had just happened.

He had no idea how long he had lain there with the pillow draped over his ears before those hoarse, dry words jolted through him. Steve would recognize that soft Jersey twang anywhere. He threw the pillow away, ignoring the dull _thump_ as it landed on the floor. He spun wide, shocked eyes toward the bed next to him.

"Danny?!" he blurted loudly, but shock stole most of his normal bravado. The commander of the task force stared, wide-eyed, at the slow nod the blonde gave him.

It was a far cry from the loud obnoxious answer that his partner would normally use, but it lifted a weight from Steve's shoulders anyway. He struggled up from the bed, cursing the wires that still clung to him, keeping him connected to the numerous monitors. Without hesitation, the SEAL tore the needle from the back of his hand ignoring the burn and the droplets of blood that slid down his long fingers. He carefully swung his slowly healing legs over the side of the bed before looking intently at the slitted lids that were currently guarding the deep blue eyes of his best friend.

"Are you in pain? Do you need anything? Ice chips? Jello-" He breathed out and would have continued if Danny hadn't interrupted.

"B'thrm."

Steve's eyes widened even further at the realization that he was going to have to break some very _unfortunate and private_ news.

He scratched at the back of his head and averted his eyes, "Uh, Danno…you should know…you can't…uh…you have a catheter stuck in...well you know..." he finally blurted out, his face burning in embarrassment.

The blonde's eyebrows furrowed then his eyes flicked down toward his…and he choked out a soft "oh" before falling silent again. They stayed that way for several minutes. Steve finally shifted a bit to see what was going on. Danny's eyelids had drooped and it looked like he'd drifted back into sleep.

At least this time it was more natural and didn't have damn thing to do with the doctor's nasty little concoction of _knock-you-out-for-a-week_ medications. Which left Steve feeling a bit better than he had before he'd seen the bit of blue peeking out between his partner's still swollen eyelids.

It was another fifteen hours before Danny opened his bruised lids again and Steve had just about convinced himself that he'd _dreamed_ the whole damn thing. He'd told the nurses during their next set of rounds, but hadn't told his any of his teammates. He wasn't sure why. They would be just as relieved as he was and yet, he desperately wanted to be the one person that Danny spoke to the next time he was somewhat coherent. He had so many things to say to the _martyr_ that happened to wear Danny Williams's face.

Later...

The smell of the hospital was starting to make Steve a bit nauseous, so he tried, unsuccessfully, to keep his mind off it. Which meant torturing Chin and Lou when they came to visit. He'd thrown so many questions at them that they'd finally thrown their collective hands in the air and headed back to the office to get some answers for their work-a-holic leader. Lou had grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, _"Stupid idiot doesn't even recognize a nice break when it bashes him over the head."_ They'd be talking about that one when Steve was back on his feet.

In the end it was the surge of optimism that kept him balanced on a knife's edge. Steve wanted to believe that everything would be okay and that _they_ could go back to normal. Unfortunately, that nice little bubble burst every time he glanced at his friend's unresponsive body. If he hadn't witnessed Danny's brief awakening, he would never have believed it had actually happened. But he _had_ witnessed it and now the other man was remaining stubbornly unconscious, figures.

 _Okay, not unconscious, sleeping, but that isn't much better when I'm stuck here bored and alone with nothing but crap television and my own thoughts to keep me company._ He knew that he was being a bit ridiculous and completely unfair since this wasn't exactly Danny's fault. He couldn't control the fact that his body craved rest and seemed to take the form of _dead-to-the-world_ rest. _I know you're tired and beat up, b_ _ut you need wake up now, buddy._ He thought, a hint of desperation coloring his mental tone.

His gaze lifted when the night nurse, _Janice_ , brought in his dinner. He was finally off the liquid diet that he'd been forced to endure. Steve was pretty sure that the only thing making his _hospital_ chow look and _taste_ amazing was the small fact that he'd been starved, while detained and beaten in a Colombian prison.

Just as he finished licking out his pudding cup a grunt pulled his attention away from the delicious desert. Danny's eyes were shifting rapidly beneath closed eyelids, his eyebrows furrowing together as he rolled his head from side to side.

Forgetting the food, Steve dropped the cup, carefully levering himself out of the bed. He used the rolling tray that sat between their beds to steady himself as he moved closer to Danny's side. He was painfully aware of the devices steadying the detective's injured shoulders, so at first he just tried speaking.

"Come'on buddy. It's okay. You're okay."

Steve's heart nearly broke when his partner's pained face didn't calm immediately at the sound of his voice. The nightmare had captured Danny's rather vivid imagination and then trapped him inside with the horrors concocted by his mind. The small heart rate monitor started beeping faster as the thrashing man's body reacted to the uncontrolled state his mind was in.

He had no real plan when he carefully reached out, gently clasped Danny's pale right hand in his. He just wanted to stop the overwhelming fear and panic that had wove themselves through his friend, keeping him enthralled inside the nightmare. What Steve definitely was not expecting was the moment when Danny's body instantly stilled as the muscles relaxed and his bruised eyelids fluttered apart, revealing bright blue eyes that rolled until they landed on Steve.

"St've?" The scratchy softness of Danny's voice drove another stake through Steve's heart; he squeezed the limp hand softly, reassuring the other man that he wasn't alone.

"Were you expecting someone else?" he quipped. It was a stupid response and if he'd thought that the semi-coherent man would remember it he probably would have taken it back.

His partner's next words nearly shattered Steve's newly repaired _emotional dam._ "You o'ky?"

Over come, he couldn't do anything but nod as his throat bobbed in an effort to suppress Steve's immediate emotional response.

Danny nodded once, blinked a few times and then groaned in pain as his face screwed into a mask of agony. "I h'rt." He mumbled tightly, reluctantly allowing the strain his body was under to affect his tone.

Neither of them enjoyed showing any form of weakness. Although to be fair, Danny was much more _mature_ about it than Steve was. _I will argue that point until the day I die. Danny Williams in 'not' more mature than me._ He whined inside his own head.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that. You need me to get the nurse?"

Another slow shake of that blonde head stopped his thumb from pressing the little red button that would fill their small room with an endless stream of nurses and doctors.

"Who c'me f'r us?"

Steve's eyebrows lifted in surprise and he answered quietly. "Who do you think?"

A moment passed until the realization settled on him and then a small smile crinkled the corners of Danny's colorful eyes. "Knw th'y w'ld." He whispered throatily.

"Oh you did, huh?"

A nod.

Apparently _I'm not the only one getting bowled over by their uncooperative emotions._ Steve thought, a bit amused at the thought. Slowly his eyes darken as his and Danny's last conversation replays inside his head; shifting his weight, to reduce the pain that's now searing through his feet, he considers what he should say next.

Danny's deep blue eyes widen as he recognizes the silent pained expression marring his friend's face. "Sit." He doesn't release Steve's hand, but he does pull it up a bit to make room next to him.

If he hadn't been in pain, Steve is pretty certain he wouldn't have done it, sat next to Danny; instead his shields are at an all time low, so he sinks gingerly into the narrow space between Danny's hip and the edge of the bed. They'd been through so much recently that just _sitting_ here, feeling the warmth and life radiating between them feels like a balm to his tortured soul. _I didn't lost you to them..._

Danny sighs quietly, "L'ar. Y're not o'ky." He forced past the prickly, dry sensation that's still keeping him from forming entire words.

Steve grabs his hospital issue mug of water and places the straw between Danny's chapped lips. The detective watched him as he drinks gratefully. Eventually he pulls away to watch Steve very carefully. Seeing the moment that the dark-haired man slowly lifts destroyed, emotion-laden eyes and the conflict happening behind them.

As though he's come to a very difficult decision, Steve barely shakes his head 'no', before looking away.

But Danny never was one to listen to Steve, he squeezes his tortured friend's hand, "Talk." He presses. It's neither a question nor an order. But hiding in the depths of that one word lies either his salvation or the bitter guilt has the potential to filet the former SEAL to the bone.

TBC…

 **Author's Note** : _I know I said I'd get this up sooner. So sorry about that. I kept getting pulled into other storylines and then there's that whole pesky 'real life' thing that keeps happening. But I owe you all massive apologies for the long wait._

 _I can comment back to the 'guest' reviewer that (very very nicely) called me out on that this week, so you can thank them for the new chapter._

 **As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter? Please leave a review…**


	15. Into Darkness

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Previous Chapter:**

Just as he was finishing his pudding cup a grunt pulled his attention away from the dessert. Danny's eyelids were flickering, his eyebrows cutting down as he rolled his head from side to side.

Steve dropped the cup and carefully levered himself out of the bed, using the rolling tray between them to steady himself as he moved to Danny's side.

"Come'on buddy. It's okay. You're okay."

His heart broke when his partner's face didn't immediately calm at the sound of his voice. The nightmare had captured Danny's rather vivid imagination and then trapped him inside with the horror of his mind. The heart rate monitor started to beep faster as the thrashing man's body reacted to the state his mind was in.

There was no plan when Steve reached out and gently clasped Danny's pale hand in his. He just wanted to stop the fear and panic that were keeping his friend enthralled. What he definitely not expected was for Danny's body to instantly still and his eyelids to flutter open, revealing a momentary panic that was immediately masked when his bright blue eyes rolled around the room until they landed on Steve.

"St've?" The scratchy softness of Danny's voice had driven another stake through Steve's heart; he squeezed the limp hand softly. He was fairly certain the muscle must resemble a piece of swiss cheese as often as he'd had it speared by uncontrolled emotions.

"Were you expecting someone else?" It was a stupid response and if he'd thought that his barely coherent partner would actually remember the comment, he probably wouldn't have said it.

His partner's next broken words nearly shattered Steve's newly repaired _emotional dam._ "You o'ky?"

He couldn't do anything but nod as his throat bobbed to suppress his immediate response.

Danny nodded once, blinked a few times and then groaned in pain. "I h'rt." He mumbled, reluctantly allowing the strain his body was under to tighten his tone.

Neither of them enjoyed showing weakness. Although to be fair, Danny was much more _mature_ about it than Steve was. _I will argue that point until the day I die. Danny Williams is 'not' more mature than me._

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that. You need me to get the nurse?"

Another slow shake of that blonde head stopped his thumb from pressing the little red button that would fill their small room with an endless train of nurses and doctors.

"Who c'me fr us?"

Steve's eyebrows lifted before he snorted. "Who do you think?"

A small smile crinkled the corners of Danny's colorful eyes. "Knw th'y w'ld." He whispered throatily.

 _Apparently I'm not the only one getting bowled over by their emotions._ Steve thought, slightly amused at the thought. Slowly his eyes darkened as their last conversation replayed inside his head. He shifted his weight to reduce the pain that seared through his feet as he considered what to say next.

H50 H50

There were holes in Danny's memory; phantom feelings that he could only barely sense on the edges of his slowly returning awareness. If the nauseating twist inside his gut was anything to go by, he wasn't looking forward to the moment they returned full force.

Danny's deep blue eyes widened as he recognized what that pained expression meant, "Sit." He forced himself not to release Steve's hand and with an effort that nearly took his breath away, he manages to pull his body up to make a bit of room. Something uncomfortable snakes through his stomach at the thought of touching another person and he struggled to force the unfamiliar reaction down. This wasn't about him, this was about being there for Steve. He could do this…he could ignore the clambering unease that is threatening to overwhelm him…for _Steve_ he would do this.

H50 H50

If he hadn't been in pain, Steve was pretty certain he would not have done it; instead he lowered himself gingerly into the narrow space between Danny's hip and the edge of the bed. He was so focused on his own misery that he missed the subtle tightening of Danny's body. They'd been through so much recently that just _sitting_ here, feeling the warmth and life radiating between them feels like a balm to his tortured soul.

Danny sighed, "Y're not o'ky." He forced it past the prickly, dry sensation that continues to keep him from forming entire words.

Steve grabbed his own mug of water, placing the straw between Danny's chapped lips. He sucked in gratefully, before pulling away to watch carefully his best friend lift destroyed, emotion-laden eyes. Slowly, Steve shook his head 'no', before falling far too still and quiet again.

"Talk." The Jersey native pleaded. It was both a question and an order in one confusing word that had the ability filet the former SEAL to the bone.

After a second of contemplation, he nodded.

 **End of previous chapter….**

 **Chapter 15**

 _Into Darkness_

Steve didn't know how long he talked. Hell, he wasn't even sure what he'd said, all he knew was that Danny was alive and at the moment coherant and listening to him. Perhaps that was why he had been surprised when his friend's condition took another turn. The blonde had listened to what he'd had to say, Steve was certain of that, but then his eyes had drifted shut and his breathing had evened out in sleep…and still the SEAL talked.

His normally talkative partner had said nothing else after Danny's initial inquiry about how they'd wound up in the hospital. And that hadn't initially bothered Steve until he realized that the limited energy of the blonde was flagging and he wasn't actually saying _anything_ in response.

Something clenched inside the dark-haired man, but his desire for everything to be okay overrode his constant, bone-deep worries and he chose to ignore the twisting fear as no more than a product of his own pessimism.

He settled back against the overly large pillows and allowed his mind to wander back over the past. To say that he had _regrets_ would be like saying water was _wet_. Steve had a whole lifetime of choices that he constantly agonized over. His gaze slid sideways and he pressed his lips together in frustration at the beeping from Danny's monitors.

The soft repetitive sounds were a constant reminder of the fact that his partner was alive, but they also kept Danny's precarious circumstances glaringly in focus. Steve swiped his hand down his face, shaking his head at the unfairness of it all. He hated that this had happened. He hated that it had blown apart their lives in a way that may not be fixable. But most of all, and his gaze again slipped over to the silent blonde, Steve _hated_ that this had happened to Danny.

The sunlight continued to crawl slowly across the foot of his bed as the day waned into evening. Steve had been forced to attend physical therapy today and he could still feel the lingering pain. Kono and Grace had stopped by earlier, bringing him a taro flavored smoothie that had done little to distract him when he'd finished. But he appreciated the effort on their part.

Grace wasn't handling the situation very well. Her dark eyes constantly welled up with unshed tears every time her gaze landed on her silent father. Luckily school was still in full swing, so she was limited on the amount of time she could spend sitting at Danny's bedside.

Steve had never been so grateful for the stringent attendance requirements of her private school as he watched the tenderhearted girl struggle to keep her emotions in check. A sharp ache lanced his heart when he realized that he and Danny were not the only ones that would bear _scars_ as a result of what Reyes's brother had done.

The youngest member of Five-O had gathered Danny's little girl into a hug and let her cry until her shuddering shoulders settled into the simple rhythms of breathing. Steve had not been able to do anything but watch as Grace temporarily bowed under the heavy emotions weighing her down. He watched the scene become blurry as tears burned behind his eyes.

When Grace had settled enough that she could speak without her voice hitching she told Steve about her day. Classes were going well and he was on the honor role. It was comforting to simply listen as Danny's little girl continued prattling on about this or that. After nearly an hour, Kono had reminded Grace that she had cheerleading practice and they needed to get going.

A shadow clouded her eyes as Grace glanced over at her father's silent form. Slowly she lifted her warm brown eyes to meet Steve's steely blue gaze. She moved swiftly to wrap her arms around his shoulders. He didn't even think about the response as his own long arms pulled her into the embrace. She leaned so that only he could hear her softly spoken words. She knew that what she was about to ask wasn't something he would like.

"Don't tell him I was here." She begged softly.

Steve jerked slightly, quickly turning his head so he could see her clearly. There were tears brimming at the edges of her dark eyes. "What? Why?"

Grace swallowed thickly, "I don't want him to know I saw him like this. He won't like that."

"Don't you think he'll be more interested in the fact that you were here for him?" The SEAL didn't voice the fact that he actually thought it would Danny more harm than good if he thought his daughter hadn't once come to see him.

Her loft dark hair drifted over the side of her face hiding her expression, as she shook her head 'no'. "Danno hates it when I seen him hurt." Her words were soft as she worked to keep her voice steady. Lifting glassy eyes, she continued. "He tries to keep his job from affecting Charlie and I." Grace gestured toward the hospital room, "I don't want him to keep _things_ from _me_."

Steve felt the sharp inhale of breath as he listened to her reasoning and found himself looking at her with new eyes. Grace knew her father better than probably just about anyone. _And she's right and we both know it._

The glossy dark head turned toward her father's bed and then she shifted that pleading gaze to Steve. "Please don't tell him."

There was nothing he could say to argue her point or her unselfish request, so he simply nodded when his throat closed around the gathering emotions.

She smiled sadly, "Thank you, uncle Steve."

They had been gone for about an hour when the atmosphere inside their shared hospital room exploded in the shrill screams of alarms. Ignoring his body's protests, Steve was out of bed before he had even made the conscious decision; his entire being responded to the breathy panting of Danny's nightmare without thinking.

Steve reached out to try and gently shake his friend from what appeared to be a frightening nightmare.

He didn't know what he'd expected, but he knew it wasn't what happened in the next few seconds.

H50 H50

Danny drifted in and out of the ever increasing, and shockingly short, periods of awareness. His entire body seemed to be in some stage of either repair or shock and it was sapping his ability to remain awake for more than a few minutes at a time.

So why was it that he was still painfully aware of everything happening around him? It was like an impulse that he couldn't turn off. He'd wondered, in the past, if it had something to do with the instincts he'd honed over a long career as a cop or if was just part of who he was?

He could hear the soft shuffling and lowered murmuring voices that alerted him to the continued presence of other people. He could smell the sickly stench of antiseptics and cleaning chemicals, which sometimes caused his stomach to roll in distaste, with every labored breath he took. Under normal circumstances he was a ridiculously hyper-verbal person, and yet…since he'd battled back to consciousness, after making sure that Steve was also alive, he hadn't really wanted to talk. His lessons in the dank dark cell of the lower prison had been very effectively applied. And for all of his many faults, he was a very good _student_.

A part of him understood, and lamented the fact, that his withdrawal from the waking world was hurting the people he cared about. The people that _loved_ him, but he was finding it impossibly to simply drop back into the easy patterns of his life prior to Colombia. Even the mere _thought_ of his stint inside that hellish prison had the power to nearly send him into a panic attack.

 _How can I tell them everything that happened?_ It was a question that he'd asked himself over and over and still had no answer for. So instead he chose to remain behind the wall of sleep and the constant drug-induced malaise in order to avoid that.

Steve was only aware of the acts of violence that he had been an unfortunate witness to, but so much more had been done. Deep down Danny was grateful that his friend wouldn't have the same nightmares he currently suffered from. He couldn't protect his big-hearted partner from a lot of things, but he could, _and would,_ spare him this.

The drugs that were keeping him locked inside his mind must have started wearing off; because the injured blonde was becoming more aware of the pain coursing through his battered body than he had been for… _what was it? Days_? He'd tried to take stock of his current condition the first time he'd woken; finally he'd been forced to give up when the list had been longer than Grace's Christmas 'wish list'. Since then he hadn't spent enough time coherent to attempt the assessment again.

 _At least I think it's only been a few days._ He considered silently. Time seemed to blur together and Danny no longer had any concept of its' passage. He now found himself thinking only in terms of _Hellish images and blinding pain_ , or he found he would consider his time in prison, or _after and mind-numbing drugs_.

Instead of alerting those inside the room of his mental return, Danny focused on trying to figure out what state his abused flesh was now in. There was a painful stiffness to his arms, which meant they were likely immobilized somehow.

That realization immediately started to derail his carefully laid plans of assessment. He'd spent far too much time _immobilized_. His arms extended above his head, his compact body hanging limply above the feces encrusted floor. He didn't realize he'd allowed his mind to wander into such dangerous territory until the tremors started. Sliding over his muscles and causing them to bunch and coil as adrenaline flooded his system, they started small and then gained intensity as agonizing sensation after agonized sensation blotted out his original intensions, locking him inside the memories.

 _Then…_

 _The pressure of a hand running along his ribcage pulled Danny from his fevered indifference. He whimpered when the roaming fingers found a particularly painful separation of ribs and pressed into the spot cruelly. He could stop the involuntary cry of pain as agony raced along the nerve endings and exploded inside his brain. His sounds of pain were immediately met with punishment. A crack along the side of his damaged jaw immediately silenced any other response he may have made._

 _The owner of the 'hand' never spoke. Simply continued to find the most painful injuries that littered the length of Danny's body, jabbing or twisting into those 'special' places with a hateful efficiency and then punishing him if he voiced his pain. When he'd taken a forceful blow to the tender area, where no_ man _wished to be struck, he'd blacked out._

 _An immediately dowsing of foul smelling liquid hauled him back to his_ reality. _The part of his brain, that was still able to think around his current deplorable situation, railed against treatment that was designed to dehumanize and destabilize him._

 _This was more than just 'retribution' for the death of Reye's brother. This was psychological torture at its' most destructive. It was designed only to create a level of control imbedded so deeply that the foundations of the detective's psyche could be crushed with a single word. He'd seen what happened to people that had been subjected to this type of operant 'conditioning' and he was frighteningly aware of the difficultly in breaking those ingrained responses. His mind roamed from memories of better times to the bleak darkness of his reality so often that he no longer knew which was which._

 _He was always kept in the dark….always in the dark. Especially when the 'hands' came to torture him, to teach him about pain and force him to submit in silence._

 _Those 'hands' roved and roamed over his suspended body seeking the places where they could cause the most agony. Danny had been tempted to cry out when those fingers pressed into the infected wound on his leg. Instead he'd bitten down so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth._

 _His body was alternating between burning the flesh from his bones or rattling the teeth from his head as the fever and rapidly spreading infection continued to rage. The shockingly high level of pain, which spiraled out from that single wound, was almost enough to send him mind racing for the blank recesses of his scarred psyche._

 _His constant lessons in 'silent suffering' were slow, often and effective. Somewhere along the way Danny learned to bite back his instinctual verbal response. He was forced to suffer the indignity of the 'hands' with little more than a clenching of his jaw and a muscle jumping along his bruised cheek. But he never saw anything. There was no person to apply his pain and anguish to, just the cruel pressure of those 'hands' as they searched out his injuries._

 _Everything he'd ever known faded away as he was conditioned to fear contact. The world took on new meaning to the Jersey detective as he repressed his desire to touch and be touched by others. He was now comprised only of misery, pain and suffering. Aside from the constant darkness and those 'hands', the worst part had been the insufferable silence. The 'hands' never spoke to him. They simply delivered the repeated agony of his conditioning and then disappeared, leaving him trembling with the pain._

 _The skittering of the rats had been a welcome sound only in as much as they reminded Danny that he wasn't deaf. He could only hope that he wasn't blind as well, because he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen light…or anything really._

 _As he drifted back and forth through the veil of his pain, he wondered how long he'd been there. He didn't have an answer for that and it scared him. Danny knew that Steve was somewhere inside this God-forsaken nightmare, but he'd had no confirmation of that fact for so long that he had begun to wonder if he'd made him up?_

 _It wouldn't be the first time that an apparition of his best friend had descended into Danny's hellish mind to save him. 'Was that what happened?' he considered brokenly. 'Did I make you up…again?'_

 _His eyes burned and his throat clenched at the idea that he was completely and utterly…alone. That Steve hadn't followed him into the mouth of Hell and the rest of Five-O would not be swooping in to rescue them._

H50 H50

Unimaginable pain, which manifested as deeply etched lines along Danny's entire body, should have resulted in some sort of _sound_. And yet the moment Steve's hand contacted his friend's, it seemed as though the universe rewrote itself.

The Jersey native was a 'touchy, feely' person, always had been. It was one of the things Steve had lamented at the beginning of their partnership. While the cop needed the physical reminder of affection between himself and those around him, the SEAL had loathed that same attention.

Over the years of their friendship, Steve had learned that physical touch for Danny was no more and no less than it seemed. There were no hidden motives or nefarious plots behind the occasional pat on the arm or the way Danny's left hand would rest on his shoulder during room clearing activities. It was simply to reassure the blonde that everything was okay and they had really made it out of the most recent life or death situation.

It had taken some time, but eventually Steve had seen that Danny did this only with the people he was closest to. Prior to Matt's death, his brother had been among that small group of loved ones. Now it consisted of Grace, Charlie, on occasion the members of Five-O and Steve.

The shocking stillness of Danny's entire body the moment Steve's fingers ghosted along his bicep immediately worried the SEAL. The skin beneath his fingers had been cold and clammy, but it had been the nightmare that had destroyed wavering resolve Steve had had about whether to wake his thrashing partner or call the nurses.

Danny's entire body froze, trembling with the unconscious need to control whatever was happening inside his head. Before the light touch of his fingers, Steve could hear the soft moans of pain and unintelligible words drifting past those chapped lips. But the instant his hand made contact with Danny's dream-induced state, everything had been cut off. A tightly controlled expression overrode the pained lines creating a stone-like face revealing no emotions at all.

Steve stepped away, yanking his hand back as though he'd been burned. He was no stranger to torture. And he knew how quickly a body could be _conditioned_ to react in a certain way to very specific stimuli. The manic way in which Danny had reacted to being touched while in the throws of a nightmare had not been normal. His partner had been _educated_ to react that way.

Steve stumbled back against his own bed, his hands barely catching his weight against the mattress as his knees gave way and he sank down. "Awe no…Danny." He couldn't stop the images of soldiers that had never recovered from such things from assaulting him. As part of their training his SEAL team had spent time in the mental wards of the veteran hospitals and he'd seen the results of focused torture. Those men had been little more than clinging to life from day to day.

Their eyes had been devoid of joy, love, frustration, disappointment, irritation and all of the other things that were generally readily visible behind his partner's blue gaze. One moment they were responsive to their environments and the next they were locked inside the cage built by their captors.

He couldn't stop the thought that while they had _saved_ Danny from death inside a Colombian prison, they hadn't been quick enough to spare him the emotional fallout of his time there.

Steve reached over and grabbed the small call button, hating himself as he pressed down on the red tip. Perhaps it was seconds or maybe it was hours, he didn't really know or care, but as he waited, Steve stared wide-eyed at his best friend. Danny's eyelids had shot apart when he'd touched him; those glazed blue eyes were staring straight ahead without blinking. Every muscle in his compact frame seemed to be straining against the demons only he could see.

When Danny had awoken, immediately recognizing and seeking confirmation that Steve was 'okay', he had foolishly thought they were past the worst of it. But as he watched the unconscious reactions of the detective's body during a nightmare, he knew they hadn't. Why the infuriating little man hadn't reacted that way the first time, Steve didn't know, which made Danny's reactions to physical stimulus unpredictable.

A wave of anger started to build somewhere in the vicinity of his heart and then slowly spidered its' way out encompassing his entire body. One of the nurses injected something into Danny's IV. Judging from the immediate way the other man's muscles went limp; it had been some sort of muscle relaxer. The tension seemed to drain away as the drug freely flowed through the blonde's veins.

If Steve hadn't known his friend as well as he did, he might missed his one and only clue about Danny's current state of mind. While the injected medication forced his body to accept a more relaxed state of being, the same could not be said for the tiny twin lines between his eyebrows. Steve couldn't help the guilty feeling that he'd just handed Danny over to the nightmarish hell of his own memory.

TBC…

 **Author's Note** _: Little bit of comfort…(last chapter)…lots of angst and hurt… I figure that Steve and Danny were in the prison for a few weeks before they were finally rescued, which means that there are things about Danny's time there that Steve doesn't know. With that in mind, it occurred to me that breaking the detective would be far more satisfying than killing him. And working through the trauma would be harder than simply being rescued. As always though, the Five-0 Ohana will be there to see it through._

 **Reviews? Would love to know you're all still out there and reading along…**


	16. Chasing the Light

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Previous Chapter:**

 _The constant lessons in 'silent suffering' were slow, often and effective. Somewhere along the way Danny learned to bite back his instinctual verbal response. He was forced to suffer the indignity of the 'hands' with little more than a clenching of his jaw and a muscle jumping along his bruised cheek. But he never saw anything. There was no person to apply his pain and anguish to, no face, just the cruel pressure of those 'hands' as they searched out his injuries._

 _Everything he'd ever known faded away as he was conditioned to fear contact. The world took on new meaning to the Jersey detective as he repressed his desire to touch and be touched by others. He was now comprised only of misery, pain and suffering. Aside from the constant darkness and those 'hands', the worst part had been the insufferable silence. The 'hands' never spoke to him. They simply delivered the repeated agony of his conditioning and then disappeared, leaving him trembling with the pain._

 _The skittering of the rats had been a welcome sound only in as much as they reminded Danny that he wasn't deaf. He could only hope that he wasn't blind as well, because he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen light…or anything really._

 _As he drifted back and forth through the veil of his pain, he wondered how long he'd been there. He didn't have an answer for that and it scared him. Danny knew that Steve was somewhere inside this God-forsaken nightmare, but he'd had no confirmation of that fact for so long that he had begun to wonder if he'd made him up?_

 _It wouldn't be the first time that an apparition of his best friend had descended into Danny's hellish mind in order to save him. 'Was that what had happened?' he considered brokenly. 'Did I make you up…again?'_

 _His eyes burned and his throat clenched at the idea that he was completely and utterly…alone. That Steve hadn't followed him into the mouth of Hell and the rest of Five-O would not be swooping in to rescue them._

H50 H50

The unimaginable pain, which manifested as deeply etched lines along Danny's entire body, should have resulted in some sort of _sound_. And yet the moment Steve's hand contacted his friend's, it seemed as though the universe rewrote itself.

The Jersey native was a 'touchy, feely' person, always had been. It was one of the things Steve had lamented at the beginning of their partnership. While the cop needed the physical reminder of affection between himself and those around him, the SEAL had loathed that same attention.

Over the years of their friendship, Steve had learned that physical touch for Danny was no more and no less than it seemed. There were no hidden motives or nefarious plots behind the occasional pat on the arm or the way Danny's left hand would rest on his shoulder during room clearing activities. It was simply to reassure the blonde that everything was okay and they had really made it out of the most recent life or death situation.

It had taken some time, but eventually Steve had seen that Danny did this only with the people he was closest to. Prior to Matt's death, his younger brother had been among that ever shrinking group of loved ones. Now it consisted of Grace, Charlie, on occasion the members of Five-O and Steve.

The shocking stillness of Danny's entire body the moment Steve's fingers ghosted along his bicep immediately worried the SEAL. The skin beneath his fingers had been cold and clammy, but it had been the nightmare that had destroyed the wavering resolve Steve had had about whether to wake his thrashing partner or call the nurses and have him sedated, again.

The moment his hand made contact Danny's entire body froze, trembling with an unconscious need to control whatever was happening inside his head. Before the light touch of his fingers, Steve could hear the soft moans of pain and unintelligible words drifting past those chapped lips. But the instant his hand made contact with Danny's dream-induced state, everything had been cut off. A tightly controlled expression overrode the pained lines creating a stone-like face revealing no emotions at all.

Stepping away he quickly yanked his hand back as though he'd been burned. Steve was no stranger to torture. And he knew how quickly the body could be _conditioned_ to react in a certain manner to very specific stimuli. The manic way in which Danny had reacted to being _touched_ while in the throws of a nightmare had not been normal. His partner had been _educated_.

Steve stumbled back against his own bed, his hands barely catching his weight against the mattress as his knees gave way and he sank down. The strength he'd gained at having his partner back was suddenly gone. "Awe no…Danny." The whisper was more of a plea than a comment.

The military man couldn't stop the images of soldiers, ones that had never recovered from such things, from assaulting him. As part of their training his SEAL team had spent time in the mental wards of the veteran hospitals and he'd seen the results of focused torture. Those men had been little more than clinging to life from day to day; their eyes void of joy, love, frustration, disappointment, irritation and all of the other things that generally swam behind his partner's blue gaze. One moment they were responsive to their environments and the next they were locked inside a mental cage built by their captors.

He couldn't stop the thought that while they had _saved_ Danny from death inside a Colombian prison, they hadn't been quick enough to spare him the emotional fallout of his time there.

Steve reached over and grabbed the small call button, hating himself as he pressed down on the red tip. Perhaps it was seconds or maybe it was hours, he didn't really know nor care, but as he waited Steve stared wide-eyed at the man that was his best friend. Danny's eyelids had shot apart when Steve had touched him; those glazed blue eyes now stared straight ahead without blinking. Every muscle in Danny's compact frame seemed to be straining against demons only he could see.

When Danny had awoken, immediately recognizing and seeking confirmation that Steve was 'okay', he had foolishly thought they were past the worst of it. But as he watched the unconscious reactions of the detective's body during the nightmare, he knew they hadn't. Why the infuriating little man hadn't reacted that way the first time, Steve didn't know, which made Danny's reactions to physical stimuli unpredictable and difficult to anticipate.

One of the nurses injected something into Danny's IV as Steve watched in abject silence. Judging from the immediate way the other man's muscles suddenly went limp; it had been some sort of muscle relaxer. The tension seemed to drain away as the drug freely flowed through the blonde's veins.

If Steve hadn't known his friend as well as he did, he might missed his one and only clue about Danny's current state of mind. While the injected medication had forced his body to accept a more relaxed state of being, the same could not be said for his mind; the proof being tiny twin lines marring the space between his eyebrows.

Steve was assaulted by the realization that he'd just handed Danny over to the nightmarish Hell of his memories.

E **nd of previous chapter….**

 **Chapter 16**

 _Chasing the Light_

Chin leaned against the granite counter as wave after wave of crushing emotion washed over him; his kitchen was normally a sanctuary from the troubles of life, but not today. Today he'd seen two of the strongest men he'd ever known struggle to retain their humanity as the world had sought to rip it away.

He'd never been one to believe that life was fair, but damn-it this last year had been a borderline tragedy on a Shakespearean level. They had so nearly lost Danny on several occasions and now that they had him back Chin wasn't sure if it would be enough.

With a shake of his head, he grabbed the coffee that had finished brewing and quickly poured it into the waiting tumbler. He didn't have time to sit around feeling sorry for himself, not with Steve and Danny both out of commission. This island hadn't been frozen in time, crimes were still happening and Five-0 needed to be out there doing what they did best.

An unfamiliar resentment settled around him like a dark cloud. He was going to have to be the foundation now. This team they'd built would have to keep moving forward, with or without Steve and Danny and he hated that. Hated that they may never again be the _team_ that he had come to rely on.

In a quick flourish of activity, he washed out the coffee carafe before placing it on the wooden strainer to dry. The early morning sun was just starting to make the slow climb over the highly polished wooden floor as Chin grabbed his jacket before rushing out his front door.

The roads were blessedly free of unforeseen accidents and he found himself pulling into the parking lot at the hospital long before he'd expected to.

When he'd climbed out of bed that morning his intention had been to go to the office and yet the moment he was seated in the cherry red sports car his destination had changed. He would be incapable of concentrating on anything until he checked on his friends.

After the tragedy involving Malia, he had no intention of ignoring that small inner voice that begged him to go see Danny and Steve. He would never ignore that feeling, not ever again. Chin swallowed the painfully large lump threatening to choke him as his eyes blurred. He still couldn't think about his wife without potentially unraveling the thin threat of stitches holding his heart together. And God forbid he add either the navy SEAL's or the detective's name to that precarious sewing job.

With some difficulty he forced his thoughts over to a different track, Danny's injuries. How in the Hell were they going to help the Jersey native recover from this latest attack? An attach that that had destroyed not only his body; it had unbalanced his mind. The older man didn't have the answer to that question. What he did know was that the plucky little detective would not be facing his battles alone. None of them ever faced their demons alone.

With a sigh, he climbed from the car and turned toward the distant hospital entrance, his eyes narrowing when he saw Steve seated out front. The normally strong-willed leader of the task force was bent forward, his shoulders hunched, elbows resting on outstretched knees, and his head bowed down.

Chin would never remember making the conscious decision to move and yet he suddenly found himself sinking down next to his battered friend. For a moment he didn't say anything. Hell, he wasn't sure what he should say until finally he couldn't stand the silence any longer. "Steve?" He hazarded softly.

Troubled blue eyes lifted to meet Chin's concerned gaze, he sucked in a breath at the raw aching pain reflecting out of those blue depths. "Is Danny…" Chin couldn't even finish the thought.

Steve blinked several times trying to understand the question and then shook his head 'No'. But he still didn't say anything. That was not normal behavior for the extremely verbal navy SEAL.

Blowing out the breath he'd been holding, he went on. "Okay. Then what's going on?"

It was almost painful watching his friend try to collect the rambling thoughts that had troubled him so much he'd sought refuge outside the hospital. The angle of his body as sat slumped over had to be extremely uncomfortable considering Steve's injuries, but he didn't seem to notice and that worried Chin. He was startled out of his assessment when the other man finally spoke.

"We weren't quick enough." Steve whispered hoarsely, misery radiating from every pore.

Chin lifted an eyebrow in question but he didn't say anything. Steve was a lot like his father had been and getting John McGarrett to open up about what he was feeling had always been a true test of one's patience.

After several moments of complete silence Steve continued in a halting stutter of jumbled words, "Oh God—I think—I think they might have—brainwashed—him."

"Brainwashed who?" Chin wasn't following the conversation and then he suddenly caught on and his heart dropped to somewhere around his boots. "Danny?!"

Steve didn't move, but his voice did find some semblance of strength as he launched into a clear explanation that his very educated friend didn't really need.

"It's called operant conditioning. Creating a desired and patterned response to specific stimuli." His breathing hitched and Steve swallowed thickly before turning to look at Chin. "It steals a persons ability to control how and when they react to these stimuli." Maybe it was his need to talk through it, maybe it was… _Oh hell, I have no idea what I'm doing here._ Steve thought miserably.

Chin wasn't sure what to say. He'd obviously heard of this kind of thing after 9/11, who hadn't hear of it? _I watch Homeland._ But other than Hollywood, he'd only ever heard of this being applied to animals; Pavlov's dogs that kind of thing. He'd never considered that he would actually _know_ someone that had been "conditioned".

A tight angry whisper refocused his drifting thoughts. "They tortured him." The SEAL finished.

The lieutenant inhaled deeply, scrubbing a hand down his face in agitation, "We knew that, Steve. We all saw that _cell._ "

The image of Danny hanging lifeless had been seared into his brain in a way that Chin knew he'd never be free of. As good as his imagination was, he couldn't imagine what had been done to the their friend inside that despicable room. He shuddered, "We _saw_." He finished quietly.

Steve shook his head, his eyes wide with desperation, "No, you don't understand." His expression lost its' focus momentarily before he went on, "Danny didn't…you didn't see. He can't…" he turned back. "They _conditioned_ him, Chin. They fucking conditioned him to fear—" His voice broke under the strain of his emotions and Steve fell into silence again. But it was the helpless look of loss on Steve's face that tore at the older man's heart.

Just because he had never been a military soldier did not mean that Chin Ho Kelly couldn't understand what his friend was referring to. He swallowed, allowing his gaze to drift away for a moment gathering his thoughts before asking, "How bad is it?"

The normally stoic SEAL lifted vacant eyes and shook his head, "I don't think—I don't think anyone can be in physical contact with him. He freaks out and goes almost catatonic. The reaction I saw earlier, it was too quick, too violent not be a remnant of his time in Colombia." Glancing away for a moment, he took a breath before finishing with, "They conditioned that response. They wanted to take away his support system. If we got him back for any reason, they didn't want him to seamlessly go back the way life had been. They took his humanity, his dignity, and took _us_."

Chin's dark eyes snapped up. "What the hell does that mean?" he hissed angrily.

The muscles in Steve's jaw jumped as his own anger raged just beneath the surface of his turbulent thoughts. "It means they _tortured_ him into _silence_." The last part was nearly inaudible as the younger man forced it past the lump in his throat.

When he'd met Danny, Chin had known that he was special. He was one of those rare types of cops, an honest one. Unfortunately that also meant that people would use that against him. Use it to break him. By all appearances it would seem that Reyes understood that too.

Exhaling sharply at the revelation he asked, "What do we do now?"

For the first time the full force of Steve's anger darkened his blue eyes, sparks flared and they deepened to nearly black in color. He turned that focused rage solely on the man seated next to him, "We fix him, Chin. We _fix_ every fucking thing that they broke." He shoved himself up onto unsteady legs, grabbing for Chin's should to steady himself before turning toward the hospital entrance. "We put Humpty Dumpty back together again."

H50 H50

 _FEAR! PAIN! SILENCE! FEAR! PAIN! SILENCE! FEAR! PAIN! SILENCE! FEAR! PAIN! SILENCE!_

Over and over the mantra had been pounded into him, capturing his mind and holding it hostage within the confines of his physical body. Danny was now trapped inside his own nightmare as a result.

There was a desolate inky darkness closing in around him squeezing the air from his lungs and blotting out any warmth or light. He desperately wanted to cry out but the fear and pain currently strangling him were too strong. He was nothing more than a silent prisoner forever locked inside a cell he couldn't escape.

Had he been a bit more lucid, Danny might have noticed that things _felt_ different than they had inside that damn cell. But between the drugs and his own fallible mind he wasn't noticing much of anything. He didn't notice that his arms were lying uselessly along his sides. Or that his naked feet were no longer exposed to the sharp biting teeth of the rodents.

But he wasn't lucid, his mind wasn't clear, and he had no way of knowing any of this was actually _real_ , so he remained mute. The blonde knew on a cellular level that he would not survive another session with those fucking _hands_. And that meant he had to remain invisible.

Even thinking of those _hands_ sent his mind screaming for oblivious darkness, carrying his impotent anger deeper inside himself. After all his was a rage born of fear and continual systematically applied pain over the last few weeks.

So he pulled back from the world like a child with singed fingers. He pulled away from the pain and the fear in search of his silent refuge.

 _Danny sat huddled in a dark corner of Five-0's holding cell. His knees were pulled up against his chest, his arms wrapped around them making him as tiny a target as possible. Invisible. His body shook due to the cold inside the concrete and stainless steel room. His head had dropped forward resting onto his folded arms._

 _The harsh florescent lighting lit up the crimson blood covering his lower half causing it glow like it had been sprayed with luminal. Danny was generally very meticulous about his appearance, but no one would suspect that, not if his current state was all they had to go on._

 _His clothing was stained with everything from dirt to body fluids. The shredded remains of his blue dress shirt hung now in limp tattered pieces from his wrists and along his neck, where the top button was still done up. His pale torso was a mixture of blackish green and dark purples. They were a testament to the many rounds he'd survived with the 'hands'._

 _But what would cause anyone who saw him to squirm with sympathy was the devastating injury to the soles of his feet. Long swaths of skin had been torn away by the tiny hungry teeth of angry rats leaving behind exposed muscle and in some cases a tendon._

 _In truth, Danny had never looked worse and he'd had some pretty rough stints during his career._

 _And yet, it wasn't the physical injuries that were unraveling his strong personality; it was the damage that could not be seen; damage that no amount of stiches could ever pull together again. So he retreated to the only place he felt safe, a holding cell in the basement of Five-0 headquarters._

 _Danny rocked back and forth trying to alleviate some of the pain coursing through him; it didn't work. A violent shiver rippled through his body causing him to bite down on his lower lip. Silence._

' _Don't breathe too loudly. And never speak. For God's sake don't speak.' He repeated this to himself even as his throat bobbed with the pent up agony._

 _He'd learned this one lesson very well, the more he vocalized, the worse they hurt him; so now he said nothing as in spite of the fiery agony racing along every nerve._

 _Time had no meaning here. He could sit for hours or days rocking his aching body back and forth. He was acutely aware of his trembling muscles and chattering teeth. He'd tried sending his mind elsewhere. Some place the pain couldn't find him, he'd discovered that no such place existed. Not for him._

 _So he tried thinking about Grace and Charlie, but that had only caused a deepening despair to settle inside his heart. So he turned away from thoughts of his children and focused on Five-0. Which explained his current location inside of the palace headquarters of the task force._

 _Danny allowed his mind to wander along the winding paths that made up his history with Hawaii's elite task force. For all that he complained loudly, even he knew that, he loved the strange little family that Steve McGarrett had built. 'Ohana.' That word hadn't meant anything when he came to the Islands. Now it meant his 'family'. Not the one that he was related to by biology, but the one he had chosen. Just as surely as Grace and Charlie were his by blood, so too was Five-O. Because every one of them had bled for him and, in turn, he had bled for each of them; as far as he was concerned, that made them "family by blood"._

 _Danny had been the first. The first person that Steve had gone to when creating the team that would ultimately change all of their lives. And for his inclusion in this "team" Danny would forever be in the SEAL's debt._

 _Not that he would ever tell Steve that, because that would just be stupid on his part. He would never hear the end of it and he wasn't masochistic enough to bring that kind of torturous hell down on himself._

 _And yet for all their fighting, sometimes like bickering school children, Danny wouldn't change a damn thing about his Ohana. In a way they were as important and integral to his emotional survival as Rachel, Grace, and Charlie._

 _Each of them was why he now hid inside his mind. He wasn't the same man they knew and loved. Reyes's brother had seen to that._

 _That man had shattered beneath the 'lash'. The strength that had made him who he was had been used against him and its' place was a twisted broken shell of that man. He couldn't expose any of them to what he was now, he couldn't; it wouldn't be fair._

 _How could he ever tell Steve that the SEAL was the reason that he had been repeatedly broken? Tell him that without his act of brave stupidity, Danny might have survived the whole thing intact? Tell him that Steve was the reason he hadn't fought harder and that by coming to 'rescue' him his partner had given their captors the master key to everything that made Danny who he was._

 _Before they'd moved him to the 'Hell-cell', Reyes's brother had threatened to 'peel the skin from Steve's bones'. And it hadn't been an idle threat. To prove his resolve the man had made Danny watch as he'd done exactly that to another prisoner. The young man had screamed until his vocal cords burst resulting in a ragged, tragic sound that the detective would never be free of. Even now he would hear that final sound in his nightmares._

 _The threat to Steve was one that the blonde knew his tormentor would keep. Because revenge was an aphrodisiac for the criminally insane and that man was certifiable._

 _So in an effort to spare his friend and 'brother' the agonizing pain he was being subjected to, Danny had done something he'd rarely accomplished during twenty years as a police officer; he'd followed orders._

 _Pulling in a shallow breath, he winced when his ribs shifted painfully. However he never uttered a single sound._

H50 H50

Steve watched Danny sleep. He saw the tiny winces of pain and the furrowed eyebrows as his partner's eyes rolled restlessly beneath his closed eyelids. The heart rate monitor chirped rapidly for a moment and then settled back into a steady rhythm of peaks and valleys. But Danny did not wake up, and he should have. Even the doctors were stumped at this point.

Something had happened after he'd awoken that first time and it had locked away Danny's conscious mind away from the world. And now he simply slept.

It had been two and a half days and Steve was on the verge of going nuclear if the doctors didn't figure out just what the hell was going on. Chin had been around almost as much as he could, but the island still needed the task force and today the people of Hawaii had needed them more than Steve.

So instead the SEAL sat inside the sterile white rooms of Tripler Army Hospital staring at the unmoving form of his best friend. His own injuries had kept him from rejoining his team, not that he would have left Danny alone.

The tragedy of Danny's incarceration was still too fresh, too raw for him to simply shove it aside and "soldier on".

Steve groaned and leaned back against the cold plastic of the chair he was currently perched on. His ribs sent a sharp reminder that he still had a long way to go before he was fully healed.

The mirror in the small bathroom of his hospital room had attested to just far he was from that. The bruising along his jawline had faded to a putrid greenish-yellow. The whites surrounding his deep blue eyes had the remnants of busted blood vessels and stress lines were deeply ingrained in his face. The other wounds spread across his body were easier to hide from the prying eyes of both medical personnel and his own personal team of _worrywarts_.

 _Okay, so that isn't really fair_.

They were all worried; it was just that at this particular juncture Steve didn't want them worrying about _him._ Danny needed to be their main focus.

At the thought of his partner, his gaze slid down and focused on the battered body in front of him. The sting of emotions burning through him left a trail of scorched pain that he hadn't felt since he'd realized that it was Danny Williams inside the twisted metal car at the bottom of that ravine two years ago.

Images and memories combined to create a very clear picture of that day. Groaning, he hauled his hand over his face trying to erase them from his mind. The stubble of his unshaven beard pulled painfully at the bandage wrapped around his palm.

Letting his hand drop to his side, Steve leaned forward and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "Danny?" he whispered softly. His voice was strained with the bottled up emotions he needed to share and yet couldn't bring himself to burden the unconscious man. He chose to go a different route, "I know it wasn't easy down there. But your family needs you to fight. Grace and Charlie, they need you to fight. Fight this the same way you've fought everything else in your stubborn life." His voice broke on that and a tear finally burst through his defenses only to drip off the long dark lashes. It landed on Danny's bandage left hand instantly soaking into the white gauze.

Steve could feel his throat bobbing as he struggled to staunch the rising emotions before they overwhelmed him.

Danny had always had a way of breaking through all the SEAL's well-laid defenses. The detective had seen through the gruff exterior of the military man. He'd seen the huge, soft; trusting heart that would always give the benefit of the doubt to those deemed a "friend". It was that _heart_ that had allowed Jenna Kaye to convince Steve to help her. It was that heart that hesitated when confronted with the opportunity to walk away from those who'd wronged him. And it was that heart that had seen the value in a snarky, angry detective from New Jersey.

That was one of the reasons that Steve had chosen Danny to be his partner all those years ago. The detective hadn't backed down when he'd confronted the military man in his garage, despite Steve's threats. Danny had gone toe to toe with him and eventually the confrontation had ended in a _draw_ with neither man having gained the upper hand.

"Danny, I can't do this alone." Steve's voice broke and his breathing hitched under the onslaught of emotions. "Please Danny, _I_ need you to fight."

H50 H50

"… _Your family needs to fight…" Steve's voice echoed through the 14" thick concrete walls and Danny's head snapped up. His blonde eyebrows drew together in confusion._

 _He wanted to answer so desperately that it stole his breath away. Hesitantly he glanced toward the doorway, expecting to see his partner walk in, flip on the lights and grin that sheepish grin of his._

 _When nothing of the kind happened, Danny allowed his head to fall back onto his folded arms._

 _Silence reigned supreme for an unknown period of time before Steve's voice penetrated again, "…Grace and Charlie, they need you to fight…" The torment was so evident in that tone that the detective couldn't have ignored it even if he'd wanted to._

 _Danny found his limbs unfolding on their own as he again lifted his head searching for his friend. He didn't say anything as he drew himself up to his knees his eyes scanning the darkness. With a grunt he managed to force his twitching body up, finally managing to find his feet while ignoring the agony as he did so. Leaning heavily against the cold stone he started toward the open door of the cell. He'd memorized the layout of this cell long ago. He didn't need 'sight' to find his way in and out of it._

 _The weakness of his body forced him to use the wall as support. Hesitantly, he shifted his right hand to the door jam, leaned forward, and peered into the hallway. A small yellow light flickered at the far end near the stairs._

"… _I can't do this alone…"_

 _The defeat and fear he heard in Steve's voice spurred him into action as nothing else could have. Taking slow methodical steps he made his way down the hallway toward that distant light, ignoring the way his body jerked and teetered due to his injuries._

 _He wanted to call out; was 'desperate' to call out, but Danny had always been a good student and he'd learned his lessons very well while under the not-so-tender mercies of the 'hands'. So he remained quiet as he stumbled toward the light._

"… _Please Danny, 'I' need you to fight…" The anguish in Steve's tone was palpable and Danny found it impossible to deny him._

 _Swallowing every instinct that rebelled at the idea, he called out, "Steve?"_

H50 H50

Steve was leaning against Danny's bed, his head lying on his folded arms as he stared out the only window inside the whitewashed room. The afternoon rain was creating streaks along the glass that resembled lightning strikes, random jagged lines that connected and parted due to the imperfections in the glass.

It felt a bit like a reflection of their lives. Coincidence had brought them together and the imperfections of the world were trying to tear them apart. Sighing he shifted, turning to look in Danny's direction. "I need you to fight." He whispered hoarsely to the silent man.

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if he was seeing what he so desperately wanted to see, but Danny's lips moved ever so slightly and one word drifted out, "…Steve…?"

TBC…

 **Author's Note** : _As you can tell by this chapter there was more to Danny's torture than just the physical pain. His recovery will not be easy and there will be hurdles and stumbling blocks along the way. But with the support of his 'Ohana', he'll pull through. However, for that to happen, he'll have to deal with everything that happened to him and that is something he is not keen to do._

 _I suppose the question will be answered as to which one of them is more stubborn, Danny or Steve._

 **Please take a moment and leave a review…much gratitude for your patience.**


	17. The Chains that Bind Us

Synopsis: When Danny Williams is arrested for the murder of Marco Reyes and extradited to South America, an old enemy sees an opportunity to deliver a debilitating blow to Five-0. With two of his friends detained and time running out, Steve does the only thing he can…he has himself thrown into the prison with Danny. But will he be in time to save his partner. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing, so if you've read anything else I've written you know this going to bad before it gets good. I'm taking some liberties with the episode "Pono Kaulike" to fit my vision of the story. Don't kill me for it, it was one of my favorite episodes in Season 5.

 **A/N** : Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued.

 **Chapter 17**

 _The Chains that Bind Us_

Steve jerked upright at the almost non-existent voice that barely supported one word he'd just heard. His body shrieked in protest at the sudden movement, but his heart sang at what this might mean. His blue eyes dropped to the hooded gaze of the man lying in the hospital bed buried under layers of gauze and sterile white blankets.

Beneath the layers of bruising and the still healing wounds of his incarceration, Danny Williams's deep blue gaze peeked out at the world. It was the best thing that Steve had seen in years.

"Danno?" The inane word has slipped past his lips before he could stop it and Steve nearly groaned. Inhaling sharply he tried again, "You with me?"

A slight shift in the blonde head was the only answer Steve got before the heavy lids of his partner slid closed and Danny again drifted away from the waking world.

The sting of worry that descended heavily on the SEAL was unexpected and wholly unwanted. Steve needed to focus right now and he wasn't good at that when his emotions took control, he'd had too little practice controlling the unruly things. No, he'd been one of those soldiers that locked away his natural responses to the tragic scenarios he found himself in. And now he was paying the price for his inexperience with them.

Swallowing the fear that followed his pangs of worry, he cautiously reached out and gently set his hand on Danny's bandaged arm. The small panting breaths of his partner immediately settled into the smooth rhythmic sounds of the desperately tired. Steve's eyes stung and blurred at the idea that his presence could have such a soothing effect on his friend. What did that say about the weeks they'd spent separated inside that rat-hole of a prison? What had Danny suffered in the deep dark places of that hell on earth? He shuddered involuntarily.

A part of him prayed that he never knew the full extent of his friend's torture. But the part of Steve that felt responsible for Danny's incarceration believed he deserved to feel every lash that the whip that was "guilt" could bring down on him. He didn't deserve to escape this fiasco any less scarred than the man that he considered a brother. Raking his fingers through his hair he tried to turn his thoughts in a less destructive direction.

Chin and Kono should be back soon. They'd had to return to protecting the island, but he knew that they wouldn't stay away for long. None of them ever did when one of them was stuck in the intensive care ward, _let alone two of us._ The last part trailed along with the thought so seamlessly that he was almost surprised. None of them spent any part of their recuperation _alone_.

Again, his guilt-stricken soul hurdled his own actions back at him. The memory of Danny's first trip home from the hospital nearly two years before and Steve's inability to reconcile his heart with his actions reared up and struck him a debilitating blow.

Glancing down again he wondered, _how could I not notice the pain you were in?_ He eyes blurred at the unrelenting memories and he dropped his head forward onto his chest.

Why Danny and the others continued to put up with his ass was beyond him, but they did. He didn't know how long he sat there allowing the pain of his past to wash over him in wave after wave of self-recrimination before a gentle touch to his shoulder jolted him back to the present.

Lurching to his feet as years of training reacted he couldn't stop the moan of pain at the unconscious movements. Doubling over he struggled to breathe past the pulsing fire racing along his torso.

Kono groaned in remorse, "Oh Steve, I'm sorry. I thought you knew I was here." She gently slipped under his arm and helped him to the chair on the other side of Danny's bed. It was larger and more comfortable. Another pained gasp slipped past his lips as he settled into the soft cloth of the recliner.

"S'okay Kono. Just got lost in my thoughts." He replied through clenched teeth.

Exhaling loudly she asked, "Good or bad thoughts?"

Without so much as a second of hesitation, he answered, "What do you think?"

She didn't answer his snarky reply, instead she knelt down in front of him and carefully pulled him into a hug he hadn't known he craved. For once Steve didn't fight anything. He allowed his need to be comforted to be fulfilled by one of the people he considered his Ohana. While Mary was his only blood relative, the Five-0 task force were every bit his brothers and sister in a way that was just as profound and just as binding.

He let his grief and the pain of the past two years bubble up spill over as tears dripped from his dark lashes. He knew nothing but that moment of complete surrender and Steve did something that he hadn't done since his father died, he cried on the shoulder of a friend.

The first time it had been Chin's broad shoulders that had steadied his slowly breaking heart, this time it was the older man's much younger cousin and her shoulders were just as steady. She didn't say anything, but she did run her fingers along his upper back in an gesture that felt more maternal than anything he'd felt in years.

H50 H50

 _Danny walked the lonely road between the enormous Banyan trees with a heavy heart. He didn't understand why he felt so 'broken', but he did. His thoughts were hazy and layered in a painful shroud that he was reluctant to pull back. The distant roll of thunder made him groan at the impending storm. It always stormed here in this land of perpetual pineapples. The winds would pick up, ripping at his hair and tearing at his clothes just as the thick drops of water began to penetrate the skyline. It was sheer hell. But it was better than whatever was hidden behind that hazy gossamer shroud._

 _Part of him knew that there was somewhere he should be. Things he should be doing. But with a certainty that actually scared him, Danny also knew that he wasn't ready. Whatever hid behind that shroud, it was more than he was ready to face._

 _Rain finally cut through the gray clouds. Huge drops splattered on the dirt path in front of him as he started looking for shelter. He didn't have a home here, it was more of a temporary hiding place from the incessant rain. He turned up a small path, one that was almost completely hidden beneath the large fronds of an isolated fern. Forcing himself to move more quickly, he limped toward the tight circle of Banyan trees just ahead of him. He'd stumbled on the place the first time he'd walked this path and for whatever reason, no matter how far he wandered, he was always able to find his way back to the warmth of this grove. It had become his safe haven without him meaning it to._

 _Shivering as the rain stole what little warmth he'd managed to soak up in the limited sunshine, he wrapped aching arms around himself and sank down, pulling his knees against his chest. He was completely miserable here, but he couldn't force his legs to carry him away from this place. Sometimes he was haunted by soft brown eyes and a smile that lifted even his heavy heart, but that wasn't enough to force him from this place of solitude and safety._

 _Something told him that outside this dense forest of banyan trees the world was a cruel and unjust place._

 _Sighing, he laid his head against his arms and allowed his misery to engulf him; it swept him away into the miasma of his pain._

" _You plannin' on staying here forever?"_

 _Startled out of his dazed state, he scrambled to his feet and flattened his back against the trunk of the largest tree. His heart was hammering inside his chest and his breathing sounded more like panting than anything else. It was pathetic, even to him. The person in front of him was tall, dark, and wearing an amused smile, one that twinkled inside merry blue eyes._

 _For reasons that would forever remain a mystery to him, he trusted this person instantly. Something about the man felt almost like family and he found himself leaning away from the trunk of his tree._

 _It happened in micro-seconds. The entire history of his relationship with the man standing in front of him and leaning against the tree directly across from him like he had not a care in the world. The smile dimmed slightly when Danny remained quiet, staring at his partner like he'd grown a second head._

 _Swallowing thickly, the taller man pushed off the tree and took a few steps in his direction. Panic rippled through Danny and he shrank back against his tree seeking the safety he'd felt moment ago. Steve stopped, raising his hands in a non-threatening manner._

" _Okay. Okay Danny, I'll just stay right here." Not knowing what else to do, he stuffed his useless hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "I won't touch you."_

 _Danny knew his actions had hurt his friend and yet the fear had seized him with such a feral control that he couldn't have stopped himself from moving if a gun had been held to his head. Trying desperately to quell the feelings of panic, he sank down onto his heels making himself as a small a target as possible._

 _A hiss of concern had him looking back up at his partner. A deep furrow had plastered itself between Steve's dark blue eyes and a frown was now pulling his features into one of extreme displeasure. That 'look' sent a bolt of fear coursing through Danny. His gaze dropped to where Steve had shoved his hands and all of his feelings intensified. There was something about the 'hands' that was tormenting his subconscious, a familiarity that closed his throat and blurred his vision with panic._

 _Steve continued to watch him in silence, but when Danny whimpered at literally_ nothing _, he shot forward and gathered his broken friend into an embrace that caused the detective to go rigidly still against him. It was like hugging a block of ice, but nothing had ever felt so good and Steve reveled in it._

 _For several minutes, Danny couldn't control the trembling fear that overrode his brain. He waited for the pain when he felt Steve's hands splay across his upper back as the hug tightened. But it never came. The taller man did nothing more than hug him with a fierce joy that quieted the fears rioting inside him._

 _Soon Danny felt his body relaxing as the warmth of his friend penetrated the icy chill that had surrounded him only moments before. For once he didn't think. He didn't fight. He surrendered to his heart and it silenced the terrified screaming locked inside his brain._

" _You're okay now, Danny. We've got you." Steve whispered hoarsely. "You're safe. You're home."_

 _A sob ripped its way through Danny's chest at the words. Deep inside his heart he hadn't realized he'd been too terrified to believe that. Afraid that if he allowed himself to hope, that it might shatter what little was left of him. But the gentle words of his otherwise snarky partner pierced his doubts and gave him a reason to_ hope.

 _The Jersey detective allowed his pain and his heartache to penetrate the normally staunch control he maintained and he sobbed desperately on his friend's shoulder. Since the loss of Matt, he hadn't allowed his emotions to surface to this extent and they had increased exponentially as a result._

 _A sudden jarring shake launched him from the healing dream into a broken reality._

 _H50 H50_

Steve shook Danny again when his partner failed to take a breath the first time. The wheezing sound had yanked the military man from the dreamless sleep he'd fallen into some time after Kono and Chin had left. And now he was shaking the smaller, injured man with a ferocity that probably wasn't warranted, but he didn't care. Steve was desperate to wake his silent friend.

"Danny?!" He breathed in a worried hiss, "Take a breath, man! Come on. You can do it. Breathe. Just breathe."

A sudden intake of air had him sinking back onto the corner of the hospital bed in relief as Danny pulled in the badly needed oxygen and his eyelids slid apart allowing his blue eyes to roll for a moment before they landed on Steve's worried gaze.

"S'tve?" he murmured softly.

The silence he'd been so intent on the last time he'd awakened seemed to be absent and the SEAL was never more grateful for anything. The sound of irritation and the confusion in Danny's voice was music to his ears.

"Wh'tre you d'ng?"

The slurred speech concerned the navy man for a moment before he decided to ignore it and take the small victory they'd been granted. Danny was awake and he appeared to have his memory and voice back. So while that may not be a good thing in the long run, at the moment it was fan-fucking-tastic! "Keeping you on this side of the dirt."

Confusion filled Danny's blue eyes and he swallowed thickly. "What?"

"You weren't breathing." While he managed to say it without his voice breaking, his heart was another matter. Steve could not watch Danny die. He wouldn't come back from something like that. Not under these circumstances. He'd lost too much already.

The smaller man narrowed his eyes, "Was too."

It took a moment for Steve to realize that Danny was _bantering_ with him. Part of him had assumed that aspect of their relationship was a thing of the past. He was intensely grateful that that didn't appear to be the case. "No really. Your lips were turning blue and you looked like a blue-gill I caught on vacation last year." Daring another previously normal action, he reached out and ruffled the detective's blonde hair. He wished he hadn't pushed it a second later.

Danny immediately shrank away and his eyes widened in fear at the physical contact. It was so a-typical a reaction for him that it actually startled the dark-haired man staring in shocked silence.

After several heartbeats, "Shit Danny, I'm sorry." Steve choked out miserably when he saw the panic in his partner's face.

Several minutes passed before Danny found his words, but eventually he muttered, "S'okay. Just surprised me."

But it wasn't okay and Steve knew it. The damage was deeper than any of them knew, even Danny. So how did they go about fixing what they couldn't anticipate?

This time it was his friend's turn to feel uncomfortable in the long silence, "Steve?"

The tremulous tone in the other man's voice turned Steve's stomach.

"What did they do to you?" The question was out before he could stop it and it caused Danny to shut down completely. It didn't appear that he was slipping away again; it was like he went _blank_ as the emotions skittered along the edges of his blue eyes.

"Awe Danny, I'm sorry. I just—" his apology was cut off when Danny surged up out of his cocoon of white and wrapped his arms around his friend. Steve was startled into silence and it took his several seconds before he realize what was happening.

Danny didn't move, but his actions spoke the volumes that he wasn't able to say.

Steve finally lifted his arms and settled them gently around the smaller man's shoulders. It was nothing more and nothing less than comforting one another. The truth of their ordeal was echoed in their actions. Both men sought reassurance that the other was truly okay and that they were together and safe.

The military man had no clue how long he sat at the awkward angle before his ribs began to protest loudly enough to cause him to shift slightly. The detective pulled in a hitched breath and leaned away in order to look up.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

A small shake of the head, followed by, "Not yet, but I will be."

A tremulous laugh rippled through Danny. It didn't really hold any humor in it, but it made his partner feel slightly better just the same. He didn't know why, but he believed his friend. Like everything else that they'd faced throughout their partnership, they would face this together and they would win. Because there were no other options, not as far as Steve was concerned.

He wondered if Danny wanted to—"You…maybe want to talk?" he asked hopefully.

The blonde shook his head once and settled back against the pillows, pulling the blankets tighter. "Maybe some day, not now." His words were soft, but at least they were out loud so Steve would take that as a victory.

Danny's blue eyes panned the room and he frowned. "Where's e'vyone?"

"They were here most of the night. Rachel finally insisted that Grace come home and sleep in her own bed." He watched as his words crushed Danny and Steve felt his anger rise up. He'd told Rachel that Danny would want to see Grace when he awoke, but she'd been adamant that the little girl not miss anymore school. It hadn't sat well with him, but he wasn't a parent so he'd stayed quiet.

"Oh." Danny's response was soft and flat. He picked at the blanket with his good hand before settling back into the silence that Steve was coming to hate more than WoFat, and that was saying something.

He didn't miss the note of disappointment in his friend's tone, "She's coming back after school." Steve amended quickly.

No answer, but Danny did lift his gaze and nod once. He was still far too withdrawn for Steve's liking, but he was engaging with the world around him. Steve took the opportunity to say what he'd been holding back for close to two years.

"I'm sorry, Danny."

Confusion lit up the blonde's face, "For what?"

It was Steve's turn to look incredulous. "For what?! Are you fucking kidding me?" When Danny seemed to fold in on himself, he instantly regretted the outburst. "Oh God, Danny…I'm sorry. I'm such an ass."

The silence reigned supreme for a several uncomfortable moments before, "True." Danny responded slowly, lifting his hooded eyes and visibly swallowing his unconscious reaction to Steve's outburst.

In a much softer voice, the SEAL continued, "I'm sorry for everything. The fight two years ago. Not being there when that asshole Russian yanked you out of the doctor's office. Getting you shot the first day we met. Not letting you drive your own car." He paused at the slight smile on Danny's face. But he wasn't done yet, "And pushing you away afterwards. I'm so god damned sorry, for all of it." His throat closed off as the emotions surged to the surface with a vengeance that he could no longer deny. Steve's shoulders started to shake under the weight of his guilt. He hated that he couldn't control the tremors that were now infecting his normally even voice, but there was nothing to be done about it.

H50 H50

The old Danny would have had some snarky comeback for the heartfelt apology. It wouldn't have been a slight against Steve or anything; it was just how the blonde dealt with things. He joked and snarked about them. Watching Steve struggle would have been too much for either lawman to comprehend in a _manly_ fashion.

This new version of the Jersey detective said, nothing. He allowed Steve's words to settle over him, wrapping him in something he hadn't thought he'd ever feel again, _hope_.

Hope that he could come back from this whole mess and that his relationship with his best friend would return to some semblance of normal. Well, their version of _normal_ anyways. Danny had been terrified that his stint in the Colombian prison had damaged him on a level that couldn't be repaired, not by anyone. But the small warm feeling deep inside him had him wondering if that might not be the case.

It wasn't a stretch to say that the man he had been before the prison hadn't been the one his team had brought home. He was a shattered shell of _that_ man and he didn't know how to fix it. Pain lanced through his heart at that thought. But hearing Steve's soul deep apology and the equally clear agony embedded inside his friend hurt more. He had to try. For Steve, he would try.

"They broke something." He whispered.

Steve whipped around and stared down at him. Uncharacteristically silent, he sank down into the chair near the bed.

Danny inhaled a halting breath, "What they did—" his voice broke and his hands shook as the fear and adrenaline rushed through him. Staring at the wall with a blank look, he pulled himself together. "I can't…" he wheezed when he couldn't work past the overwhelming power of his mind.

Steve leaned forward, but he didn't touch his friend. Not this time. There was something about the shattered way Danny had ended his almost confession that terrified the SEAL that he would push the other man over the danger ledge he was balanced on.

Danny noticed the restraint and a part of him broke just as another part of him stitched itself back together. He was so far from okay it was laughable, but he knew he didn't have to go through this alone. The worried expression on his friend's face told him that in no uncertain terms. And while he couldn't imagine facing the darkness alone, he knew that he could inch his way into that horror-filled nightmare with the support of his Ohana. A small chain seemed slip from around his soul and he felt a little closer to a light he thought he'd never see again.

TBC…

 **Author's Note** : _Danny's recover will be ongoing. I haven't decided if it will continue in another story or if I'll keep plinking away at this one. But this one almost feels complete and his recovery feels a bit like a new story. There is always the fact that while Five-0 did manage to steal him away from the darkness, they didn't exactly cut the head off the snake. So will the recovery be as easy as they think? Or is there something sinister waiting in the darkness? Thoughts?_

 **Please take a moment and leave a review…**


End file.
